Skip to main content
Log in

What Have Behaviorists Accomplished—And What More Can They Do?

  • Article
  • Published:
The Psychological Record Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Recent pessimistic assessments of behaviorism’s contributions and future role are examined and found wanting. Research in social psychology and large-scale applications, as well as recent books on social processes, are shown to make considerable use of operant principles. Although these principles are largely hidden by conventional phrasing and often are not specifically acknowledged, their general acceptance makes them appear to be almost a part of psychology’s conventional wisdom. Implications for behaviorism, in terms of core principles and peripheral implications, as well as a “school,” are briefly discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ARONSON, E. (1992). The social animal (6th ed.). New York: W. H. Freeman.

    Google Scholar 

  • BAILEY, J. S. (1991). Marketing behavior analysis requires different talk. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 445–448.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • COLEMAN, S. R., & MEHLMAN, S. E. (1992). An empirical update (1969-1989) of D. L. Krantz’s thesis that the experimental analysis of behavior is isolated. The Behavior Analyst, 15, 43–49.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • CZUBAROFF, J. (1993). Convergences with behavior analysis: Recommendations from the rhetoric of inquiry. The Behavior Analyst, 16, 1–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • ERASMUS, C. J. (1961). Man takes control: Cultural development and American aid. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.

    Google Scholar 

  • GARDNER, H. (1985). The mind’s new science: A history of the cognitive revolution. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • GLENN, S. G. (1993). Windows on the 21st century. The Behavior Analyst, 16, 133–151.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • GUERIN, B. (1992). Behavior analysis and social psychology: A review of Lana’s Assumptions of social psychology. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 58, 587–604.

    Google Scholar 

  • HAYES, S. C. (Ed.). (1989). Rule-governed behavior: Cognition, contingencies, and instructional control. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • JACKSON, J. M., & HARKINS S. G. (1985). Equity in effort: An explanation of the social loafing effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 1199–1206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JACKSON, J. M., & WILLIAMS, K. D. (1985). Social loafing on difficult tasks: Working collectively can improve performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 937–942.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KARAU, S. J., & WILLIAMS, K. D. (1993). Social loafing: A meta-analytic review and theoretical integration. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65, 681–706.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KERNIS, M. H., ZUCKERMAN, M., COHEN, A., & SPADAFORA, S. (1982). Persistence following failure: The interactive role of self-awareness and the attributional basis for negative expectancies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43, 1184–1191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KERR, N. L. (1983). Motivation losses in small groups: A social dilemma analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45, 819–828.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LAMAL, P. A. (1989). The impact of behaviorism on our culture: Some evidence and conjectures. The Psychological Record, 39, 529–535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LATANE, B. (1981). The psychology of social impact. American Psychologist, 36, 343–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LATTAL, J. D. (Ed.). (1992). Reflections on B. F. Skinner and Psychology. American Psychologist, 47, 1269–1533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MILLER, L. (1988). Behaviorism and the new science of cognition. The Psychological Record, 38, 3–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MOORE, J. (1990). On the “causes” of behavior. The Psychological Record, 40, 469–480.

    Google Scholar 

  • MULLEN, B. (1983). Operationalizing the effect of the group on the individual: A self-attention perspective. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 19, 295–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NEURINGER, A. (1991). Humble behaviorism. The Behavior Analyst, 14, 1–13.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • OVERSKEID, G. (1994). Private events and other causes of behavior: Who can tell the difference? The Psychological Record, 44, 35–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • ROSS, L., & NISBETT, R. E. (1991). The person and the situation: Perspectives of social psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • SHEPPERD, J. A. (1993). Productivity in performance groups: A motivational analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 113, 67–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ZIMBARDO, P. G., & LEIPPE, M. R. (1991). The psychology of attitude change and social influence. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kunkel, J.H. What Have Behaviorists Accomplished—And What More Can They Do?. Psychol Rec 46, 21–37 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395161

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395161

Navigation