Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 15: Self-Editing. Quote 17

Post author:B. F. Skinner Foundation
Post published:December 5, 2025
Post category:Skinner's Quote of the Day

It is sometimes necessary . . . to regard “doing nothing” as a response if it has identifiable reinforcing consequences. (p. 379)

All proceeds support the B. F. Skinner Foundation and enable us to continue our important work. Thank you to all of current and previous donors for helping us continue our mission of Better Behavioral Science for a More Humane World!

The newest addition to the Skinner for the 21st Century series, Upon Further Reflection: Extended Edition, is available in paperback! A PDF version of the book is also available.

An Online Edition of The Analysis of Behavior by Holland & Skinner is now available free of charge! Imagine being taught at Harvard by B. F. Skinner! In a sense, that is what this course provides. In collaboration with Behavior Development Solutions (BDS), the B. F. Skinner Foundation is glad to bring to the new generation this programmed instruction course, developed by Drs. Holland and Skinner, to teach basic terms and principles of behavior analysis. Originally designed for use in a mechanical teaching machine, early steps in the sequence prepare you for later, more advanced material. It takes the student through a carefully prepared sequence of steps and it brings textual responding under appropriate stimulus control. That is, rather than selecting a response, the learner types it (just as one does under natural stimulus conditions). No other online course fully embodies the methodology developed by Skinner. In addition to the free version, students of behavioral analysis can sign up for a 4-part, 24 CEUs course.

SKINNER'S QUOTE OF THE DAY

You Might Also Like

Contingencies of Reinforcement. Chapter 4: The experimental analysis of behavior. Quote 25

Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 1: A Functional Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Quote 24

Cumulative Record. Chapter 16: Teaching Science in High School—What Is Wrong? Quote 9