Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 3: Why Organisms Behave, Quote 4
“Eventually a science of the nervous system based upon direct observation rather than inference will describe the neural states and events which immediately precede instances of behavior. We shall know the precise neurological conditions which immediately precede, say, the response, “No, thank you.” These events in turn will be found to be preceded by other […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 3: Why Organisms Behave, Quote 3
“There is nothing wrong with an inner explanation as such, but events which are located inside a system are likely to be difficult to observe. For this reason we are encouraged to assign properties to them without justification. Worse still, we can invent causes of this sort without fear of contradiction.” (p. 27) Subscribe to […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 3: Why Organisms Behave, Quote 2
“The most that can be said is that the knowledge of the genetic factor may enable us to make better use of other causes. If we know that an individual has certain inherent limitations, we may use our techniques of control more intelligently, but we cannot alter the genetic factor.” (p. 26) Subscribe to RSS […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 3: Why Organisms Behave, Quote 1
“We want to know why men behave as they do. Any condition or event which can be shown to have an effect upon behavior must be taken into account. By discovering and analyzing these causes we can predict behavior; to the extent that we can manipulate them, we can control behavior.” (p. 23) Subscribe to […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2 A Science of Behavior?, Quote 11
“A science of behavior which concerns only the behavior of groups is not likely to be of help in our understanding of the particular case. But a science may also deal with the behavior of the individual, and its success in doing so must be evaluated in terms of its achievements rather than any a […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2 A Science of Behavior?, Quote 10
“A final answer to the problem of lawfulness is to be sought, not in the limits of any hypothetical mechanism within the organism, but in our ability to demonstrate lawfulness in the behavior of the organism as a whole. (p. 17) Subscribe to RSS feed here
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2 A Science of Behavior?, Quote 9
“It has sometimes been pointed out, for example, that physical science has been unable to maintain its philosophy of determinism, particularly at the subatomic level. The Principle of Indeterminacy states that there are circumstances under which the physicist cannot put himself in possession of all relevant information: if he chooses to observe one event, he […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2 A Science of Behavior?, Quote 8
“When a science of behavior reaches the point of dealing with lawful relationships, it meets the resistance of those who give their allegiance to prescientific or extrascientific conceptions. The resistance does not always take the form of an overt rejection of science. It may be transmuted into claims of limitations, often expressed in highly scientific […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2 A Science of Behavior?, Quote 7
“We all know thousands of facts about behavior. Actually there is no subject matter with which we could be better acquainted, for we are always in the presence of at least one behaving organism. But this familiarity is something of a disadvantage, for we have probably jumped to conclusions which will not be supported by […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2 A Science of Behavior?, Quote 6
“In a later stage science advances from the collection of rules or laws to larger systematic arrangements. Not only does it make statements about the world, it makes statements about statements. It sets up a “model” of its subject matter, which helps to generate new rules very much as the rules themselves generate new practices […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2 A Science of Behavior?, Quote 1
Science is first of all a set of attitudes. It is a disposition to deal with the facts rather than with what someone has said about them. Rejection of authority was the theme of the revival of learning, when men dedicated themselves to the study of “nature, not books.” (p. 12) Subscribe to […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter I Can Science Help?, Quote 5
“The Copernican theory of the solar system displaced man from his pre-eminent position at the center of things. Today we accept this theory without emotion, but originally it met with enormous resistance. Darwin challenged a practice of segregation in which man set himself firmly apart from the animals, and the bitter struggle which arose is […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter I Can Science Help?, Quote 4
“Science not only describes, it predicts. It deals not only with the past but with the future. Nor is prediction the last word: to the extent that relevant conditions can be altered, or otherwise controlled, the future can be controlled. If we are to use the methods of science in the field of human affairs, […]
New Project: Skinner’s Quote of the Day
On January 4, 2016, the B. F. Skinner Foundation launched a new project – Skinner’s Quote of the Day. Quotes from B. F. Skinner works, selected by renowned scientists, appear daily Monday-Friday in order, starting with Chapter 1 of each book and running all the way through the last chapter. We started with the Science […]
Science and Human Behavior, Chapter I Can Science Help?, Quote 3
“Science is more than a description of events as they occur. It is an attempt to discover order, to show that certain events stand in lawful relations to other events. No practical technology can be based upon science until such relations have been discovered. But order is not only a possible end product; it is […]
Quarter IV, 2015 Edition of Operants Magazine
Quarter IV edition of Operants magazine went out to subscribers on December 30, 2015. This edition is a special one: We remember B. F. Skinner 25 years after his death by reflecting on the state of behavioral science in Brazil, Europe, Israel, and North America. We also look at the young generation of behaviorologists worldwide […]
Karen Pryor visits the Foundation’s office
Karen Pryor, a best-selling author, stopped by the B. F. Skinner Foundation’s offices. She was interviewed for the upcoming edition of Operants by Sheila Habarad, Editor-In-Chief (left). Karen is a behavioral biologist with an international reputation in two fields, marine mammal biology and behavioral psychology. She is a founder and leading proponent of “clicker training,” […]
Quarter III, 2015 Edition of Operants Magazine
Quarter III, 2015 edition of Operants magazine went out to subscribers on September 26. In this issue we feature contributions from, and profiles of scientists and practitioners from Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and the USA. There is a discussion on Ivan Pavlov and his influence on young Skinner. Also, our correspondents […]
Walden Two read by B. F. Skinner available for download
For as little as $1.99 you can download Walden Two read by B. F. Skinner. It is available both in MP3 and iTunes audio book formats (combining all chapters into one file was impractical due to size, so you will have to download each chapter as a separate file). This audio book is a Name-Your-Price […]
Congratulations to 2015 Winners of the B. F. Skinner Foundation Research Awards!
The B. F. Skinner Foundation sponsors research awards through Florida Association of Behavior Analysis (FABA) and Division 25 of the American Psychological Association. In 2015 award winners are, respectively: Ashley Tudor, B.A., BCaBA. Read more here. Dr. Bethany Raiff, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey. […]
New edition of Operants
Quarter II, 2015 edition of Operants went out to subscribers on July 8. This edition is dedicated to to education, with contributors from Brazil, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. This issue discusses the scientific underpinnings needed for effective instruction. Several techniques illustrate the application of the science of behavior to […]
All PDFs remain Name-Your-Price products!
Verbal Behavior as a name-your-price PDF book (starting at $0.99) has been a resounding success! Many of you have added a modest donation on top of the minimum price, thank you! As the direct result of your generosity the B. F. Skinner Foundation is able to continue to offer all its PDF books as name-your-price […]
Schedules of Reinforcement available as e-book
With the support of The Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. (BACB), the B. F. Skinner Foundation has completed the conversion of Schedules of Reinforcement by C. B. Ferster and B. F. Skinner into the e-book formats. It is available for purchase through the Foundation’s online bookstore, as well as on Amazon, GooglePlay, iTunes and Kobo.
Name your price for the PDF version of Verbal Behavior
For a very limited time (until May 21, to be exact) we are making PDF version of Verbal Behavior by B. F. Skinner available through Name-Your-Price convention. That means that the minimal price is set at $0.99, and everything you decide to pay above that is a charitable contribution to the B. F. Skinner Foundation. […]
Contingencies over B. F. Skinner’s Discovery of Contingencies by Dr. Julie S. Vargas
The article Contingencies over B. F. Skinner’s Discovery of Contingencies by Dr. Julie S. Vargas is now available on the B. F. Skinner Foundation’s website. Originally this article appeared in EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS in No. 2, Winter 2004. B. F. Skinner began graduate school thinking he would extend Pavlov and Watson’s stimulus-response analysis […]
Enjoy Old Age published in Norwegian
Enjoy Old Age by B. F. Skinner and M. E. Vaughn just got published in Norway by Forgalet Krippendorf (www.krippendorf.no). Photo on the cover – Borgny Alvilde Johansen, 90 years young. The book by B. F. Skinner and Margaret Vaughan is based on the lecture Intellectual Self-Management In Old Age, delivered by Skinner at the […]
New edition of Operants
Quarter I, 2015 edition of Operants went out to subscribers on March 25. This edition is dedicated to the international expansion of Skinner’s science. Among featured articles you will find a report on European Association of Behavioral Analysis (EABA) Conference in Stockholm and interviews with scientists and practitioners from Northern Ireland, Norway, Turkey, and the […]
Foundation’s online bookstore now has Name-Your-Price products
Some of the books in our bookstore (most of the PDF versions of e-books) are now Name-Your-Price products. That means that while we set the minimum amount (from $0 to $0.99 in most cases), the amount you actually pay is up to you. Every dollar you add on top of the minimum price is a […]
Free PDF of Science and Human Behavior in languages other than English
The B. F. Skinner Foundation wants to translate into as many languages as possible and distribute for free a PDF version of Science and Human Behavior by Skinner. What languages shall we start with (English version is already a free download through our bookstore). Please let us know by going to the bookstore and voting. […]
Cumulative Record (Definitive Edition) available in e-book formats
With the support of BACB, the B. F. Skinner Foundation has completed the conversion of Skinner’s Cumulative Record (Definitive Edition) into the e-book formats. It is available for purchase through the Foundation’s online bookstore, as well as on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.
Q4, 2014 Edition of Operants
The latest edition of our quarterly report, Operants, went out to subscribers on December 18, 2014. In this special issue we celebrate B. F. Skinner’s 110th birthday anniversary by sharing unique archival materials, as well as memories provided by Skinner’s family, friends, colleagues and students. If you want to better understand Skinner the man and […]
Vintage Notebooks Are Back in Stock (While They Last)
For those of you who were shopping for the vintage Notebooks by B. F. Skinner on our website in the last couple of months and received an “Out of Stock” message: through a donation we have secured a very limited number of these books: https://www.bfskinner.org/product/vintage-notebooks/. We expect them to sell out very quickly, so we […]
2014 Winners of BABAT Student Awards
The B. F. Skinner Foundation sponsors Student Research Award and Student Poster Award through the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT). Congratulations to 2014 award winners: Kara Wunderlich, University of Florida, and Meagan Barber, Simmons College and New England Center for Children! https://www.bfskinner.org/babat/
B. F. Skinner Foundation Launches Annual Fundraising Campaign
This week we are launching our once-a-year fundraising campaign. The Foundation needs money to keep Skinner’s works in print, convert books into electronic formats, publish the Operants report, maintain and expand our Behavioral archives and make resources available to the public through our website www.bfskinner.org. We want to make it interesting this year. Everyone who […]
Quarter III, 2014 edition of Operants is here!
New issue of Operants is here! As the cover story, this Quarter III issue features the interview with Otto Fad, Elephant Manager at Busch Gardens Tampa, who talks about his team and their use of advanced operant techniques and positive reinforcement in elephant training. As always, there are profiles of behavioral scientists and practitioners from […]
2014 Winners of the B. F. Skinner Foundation Student Research Awards
The B. F. Skinner Foundation sponsors student research awards through California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA) and Florida Association of Behavior Analysis (FABA). In 2014 award winners are, respectively: Candice Hansard from California State University, Northridge; for Video Modeling to Train Undergraduates to Conduct a Paired-Stimulus Preference Assessment; and Catalina Rey from […]
Sculpture of Skinner unveiled
On August 8, 2014 the second annual Ethics in Professional Practice conference took place at the Endicott College Campus in Beverly, Massachusetts. A one day conference featured leaders in the fields of Psychology, Business, Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis. During the conference the sculpture of B. F. Skinner was unveiled by the sculptor, internationally acclaimed artist […]
Contingencies of Reinforcement e-book
Contingencies of Reinforcement in e-book format is now available not only in the B. F. Skinner Foundation Bookstore, but also through all major online retailers. Here are the clickable links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, iTunes, and Kobo. As always, if you are planning to buy (or purchased already) a print edition of Contingencies […]
Where to buy the e-book edition of K&S (Principles of Psychology by Keller and Schoenfeld)
The Foundation continues to produce electronic versions of the books we publish. The latest addition to our e-book library is Principles of Psychology by Keller and Shoenfeld, or K&S as it is known to many. The title is now available in our Bookstore; and also through all major online retailers (click on the link to […]
Skinner’s Notes: “The Stream of Consciousness”
Picture this: it is the fall of 1958, Skinner is relaxing on Sunday morning and decides to write down things that “come to mind”. And then he sorts them: “unavoidable routine”, “no pressure”, “termination in sight”, “long term”. Skinner wrote all his notes in long hand, and then he had most of them typed by […]
Where to find the e-book edition of Verbal Behavior?
A quick response to your queries: Verbal Behavior in e-book format is now available not only in our Bookstore, but also through all major online retailers. Here are the clickable links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, iTunes, and Kobo. If you are planning to buy (or purchased already) a print edition of Verbal Behavior […]
Quarter II, 2014 edition of Operants is here!
The Quarter II Operants edition features news about Walden Two (and some reflections about the book), continued discussion on how to make Skinner prominently featured in introductory psychology textbooks, and profiles of more behavioral practitioners from around the world. As always there is discussion about Skinner’s direct and hidden impact on modern society; and more […]
Verbal Behavior is now available in e-book formats!
With the generous support by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) the B. F. Skinner Foundation has converted the definitive edition of Verbal Behavior into e-book formats. Please visit our Bookstore to get your copy in either epub (works on Apple products, Nooks from Barnes and Nobles, Android-powered tablets and phones, KOBO readers, etc.) or […]