Understanding behaviorism

So proposes behaviorist William M. Baum at the start of his unique text, Understanding Behaviorism: Science, Behavior, and Culture. Whether readers agree or disagree with his views, a lively, critical thinking-reading experience is guaranteed. The book discusses what definition of "science" might suit a science of behavior and what "behavior" migh mean for science. It also explores implications of a science of behavior for purpose, knowledge, freedom, social relationships, culture, cultural change, and public policy.

Understanding Behaviorism is suitable for a wide audience: undergraduates, graduate students, biologists, social scientists, philosophers. Anyone who might be interested in human behavior will delight in this text. Links are made among contemporary behaviorism and philosophy, cognition, social psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology.

Part I: What is Behaviorism?:.

1. Behaviorism: Definition and History.

2. Behaviorism as Philosophy of Science.

3. Public, Private, Natural, and Fictional.

Part II: A Scientific Model of Behavior:.

4. Evolutionary Theory and Reinforcement.

5. Purpose and Reinforcement.

6. Stimulus Control and Knowledge.

7. Verbal Behavior and Language.

8. Rule-Governed Behavior and Thinking.

Part III: Social Issues:.

9. Freedom.

10. Responsibility, Credit, and Blame.

11. Relationships, Management and Government.

12. Values: Religion and Science.

13 The Evolution of Culture.

14. Design of Culture: Experimenting for Survival.

Index