The Psychology of B F Skinner - Softcover

William O'Donohue; Kyle Ferguson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761917594 ISBN 13: 9780761917595

Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc, 2001

Synopsis

"The authors provide a concise overview of the basic principles and methods used by modern behavior analysts, as well as a thorough discussion of the difference between reward and reinforcement and elicited and emitted behavior."
―THE PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD

"O′Donohue and Ferguson provide an exceptionally clear picture of the breadth, scientific importance, and value to society of the work of the late B.F. Skinner. They include reasons that his work has been criticized and misunderstood. A substantial index, an attractive cover and typeface, and a readable style are bonuses to this exceptionally well-researched, accurate, and fair description of Skinner′s work. All collections."― CHOICE

In The Psychology of B. F. Skinner, William T. O′Donohue and Kyle E. Ferguson not only introduce the life of one of the most influential psychologist of the past century but also put that life into historical and philosophical context. In so doing, they illuminate Skinner′s contributions to psychology, his philosophy of science, his experimental research program, and the behavioral principles and applied aspects that emerged from it. They also rebut criticism of Skinner′s work, including radical behaviorism, and discuss key developments others have derived from it.

Behaviorists, or more precisely Skinnerians, commonly consider Skinner′s work to have been misrepresented, misunderstood, and, to some extent, even defamed. The authors take great care in accurately representing both the strengths and the weaknesses of his positions. They also attempt to correct misinterpretations of his work. Finally, they guide students through Skinner′s theories and demonstrate their applications and usefulness via extensive examples and illustrations.

About this title

About the Authors

William T. O’Donohue is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor of psychology and adjunct professor in the Department of Philosophy at University of Nevada, Reno, and a faculty member of the National Judicial College. He is widely recognized in the field for his proposed innovations in mental health service delivery, in treatment design and evaluation, and in knowledge of empirically supported cognitive behavioral therapies. He is a member of the Association for the Advancement for Behavior Therapy and served on the Board of Directors of this organization. Dr. O’Donohue has published over 50 books and 150 articles in scholarly journals and book chapters. For the past 14 years, he has been director of a free clinic that treats children who have been sexually abused and adults who have been sexually assaulted.

Kyle E. Ferguson is pursuing his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. He received a master′s degree in behavior analysis from Southern Illinois University and a bachelor′s degree from the University of Alberta. He coauthored a previous book, Working Through Anger, and two manuals, Working Through Anger: Therapist′s Manual and A Practitioner′s Guide to Behavioral-Medical Interventions. He coauthored the recent Sage book, The Psychology of B.F. Skinner (2001) with William O′Donohue.

Edition details

• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0761917594
• ISBN 13: 9780761917595
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 300