Verbal BehaviorThis book, which Skinner often call his most important work, extends the laboratory-based principles of selection by consequences to account for what people say, write, gesture, and think. Skinner argues that verbal behavior requires a separate analysis because it does not operate on the environment directly, but rather through the behavior of other peoples in a verbal community. He illustrates his thesis with examples from literature, the arts, and the sciences, as well as from his own verbal behavior and that of his colleagues and children. |
Contents
Preface vii | 1 |
General Problems | 13 |
Controlling Variables | 27 |
Copyright | |
16 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
acquired analysis appears appropriate audience autoclitic aversive become called Chapter characteristic child circumstances complex consequences contingencies correspondence course described discussed echoic editing effect emitted emotional established evoke example explain expression extension fact followed formal function given havior important instances intraverbal kind language less listener literary mand material meaning metaphorical multiple nonverbal object observed occasion occur operant original particular pattern person possible practical present probably problem produce properties punishment reader reason refer reinforcement relation repertoire respect result scientific seen sense sentence similar simply single situation someone sometimes sort sound sources speak speaker specific speech sponse stimulus strength strengthening strong suggests supply tact talking textual thematic things thinking tion unit usually variables verbal behavior verbal community verbal response verbal stimulus vocal writing written