Customer Reviews

Behaviorism (Interpretations)

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Behaviorism is an excellent book that lays the foundation for the understanding of radical behaviorism and the principles of modern behaviorism in an entertaining fashion. The text is very philosophical yet very scientific in the discussion of the ever evolving field of one of most important branches of modern psychological thought. This essay easily dispels any and all of the rumors and misconceptions about the two major proponents of the field of Behaviorism being Burrhus Frederic Skinner and John Broadus Watson. Very thought provoking and informative.

This is a good introduction to behaviorism and its history.
The book is rather short which is a good thing if you want a
brief introduction to the field (or a bad thing if you are
looking for more). Behaviorism is seeing a resurgence in AI
robotics with the work of Brooks and others. Staddon defines
enough versions of behaviorism that some of them blend into
cognitivism and the distinction becomes blurred. One possible
distinction would have been the presence or absence of internal
state. Watson's and Skinner's behaviorism allowed no state.
Cognitive science does. A discussion of state "in the world"
(scent trails, etc.) would be an interesting way to work state
into radical behaviorism. But Staddon allows state in "modern
behaviorism" and his model behaviorist theory is quite simply
a finite state machine (automaton). Another possible distinction
might have been consciousness but this is not explored in any
great detail in this (short) book. Behaviorism should be of
interest to AI people. In its more radical forms it represents
a minimalist attempt at a theory of intelligence. As such it
would be a good place for AI to begin.