Abstract
Three distinctive facets of classical behaviorism are critically examined. The first facet, methodological behaviorism, constitutes a straightforward commitment to empiricism and is, therefore, not controversial. However, the second facet, theoretical behaviorism, is found to be extreme and anachronistic. The final facet, so-called substantial behaviorism, involving, as it does, a change in the subject matter of psychology, is shown to be seriously in error and inconsistent with modern practices in the “hard” sciences.
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Watson, J. B. Behaviorism. New York: Norton, 1925.
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Common sense tells us that the earth is flat, does not move, is the center of the universe, and is closer to the sun in the summer. The empirical approach provides a protective mechanism against these subjectively verifiable conclusions.
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Burstein, K.R. Psychology: The study of green cheese. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 17, 1–4 (1981). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333648
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333648