Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 5: Operant Behavior, Quote 20

“Purpose is not a property of the behavior itself; it is a way of referring to controlling variables . . . The subject himself, of course, may be in an advantageous position in describing these variables because he has had an extended contact with his own behavior for many years. But his statement is not therefore in a different class from similar statements made by others who have observed his behavior upon fewer occasions . . . he is simply making a plausible prediction in terms of his experiences with himself. Moreover, he may be wrong.” (p. 88)

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