Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 11: Aversion, avoidance, anxiety, Quote 10

Science and Human Behavior“When we speak of the effects of anxiety, we imply that the state itself is a cause, but so far as we are concerned here, the term merely classifies behavior. It indicates a set of emotional predispositions attributed to a special kind of circumstance. Any therapeutic attempt to reduce the “effects of anxiety” must operate upon these circumstances, not upon any intervening state. The middle term is of no functional significance, either in a theoretical analysis or in the practical control of behavior.” (pp. 180-181)

rss
Subscribe to RSS feed here