Contingency Horizon: on Private Events and the Analysis of Behavior

Skinner’s radical behaviorism incorporates private events as biologically based phenomena that may play a functional role with respect to other (overt) behavioral phenomena. Skinner proposed four types of contingencies, here collectively termed the contingency horizon, which enable certain functional relations between private events and verbal behavior. The adequacy and necessity of this position has met renewed challenges from Rachlin’s teleological behaviorism and Baum’s molar behaviorism, both of which argue that all “mental” phenomena and terminology may be explained by overt behavior and environment–behavior contingencies extended in time. A number of lines of evidence are presented in making a case for the functional characteristics of private events, including published research from behavior analysis and general experimental psychology, as well as verbal behavior from a participant in the debate. An integrated perspective is offered that involves a multiscaled analysis of interacting public behaviors and private events.     

对临床科学研究存在的问题的思考

学风浮躁、急功近利、弄虚作假,困扰着临床医学研究,影响着临床医学的创新和发展.这不仅与当前的科技评价、管理制度有关,更与科研工作与领导的政绩、业绩有关.遵循科学研究的自然规律,让学术回归学术,建立同行评议制度,恢复学者的诚信,是临床医学研究创新发展的前提.同时,结合医院的分级管理,临床医学研究也应分类管理.     

对临床科学研究存在的问题的思考

学风浮躁、急功近利、弄虚作假,困扰着临床医学研究,影响着临床医学的创新和发展。这不仅与当前的科技评价、管理制度有关,更与科研工作与领导的政绩、业绩有关。遵循科学研究的自然规律,让学术回归学术,建立同行评议制度,恢复学者的诚信,是临床医学研究创新发展的前提。同时,结合医院的分级管理,临床医学研究也应分类管理。     

Environmental Behavior of Visitors to a Science Museum

ABSTRACT

Increasingly, informal science and environmental education institutions are addressing conservation messaging and environmental behavior in programming, exhibits, and interpretation. Yet, little is known about what pro-environmental behaviors visitors are currently undertaking, what characteristics those environmental behaviors may have in common, and what differences might exist among visitor populations. This study investigated environmental behaviors and attitudes of visitors (N = 689) to an informal science museum, including separate foci on members and nonmembers based on previous work suggesting differences between the two groups. To improve research, policy, and educational interventions that address environmental behavior, researchers have long sought to uncover relationships among unique environmental behaviors. To this end, the authors explored whether five commonly recommended pro-environmental behaviors shared underlying characteristics that could be used to group those behaviors. They uncovered some dissimilarity in self-reported environmental behaviors among members and nonmembers. Although no single shared construct underlying the behaviors was evident, the authors did find, for nonmember visitors, a suite of three traditional environmental behaviors and, for members, a suite of four contemporary environmental behaviors. They discuss implications for practice and future research.     

Science and Human Behavior: a tutorial in behavior analysis

B. F. Skinner's Science and Human Behavior (1953) became the main source of my understanding of behavior during my first semester as a college professor in 1955 at Kansas University. It has continued to exert a major influence throughout my career as the basis for a completely deterministic science of behavior, as a handbook to be consulted as a first step in dealing with any issue in behavior analysis, and as a tutorial in behavioral interpretive analysis--in the use of a small number of behavioral concepts and principles to understand behavior of all degrees of complexity. I describe four general interpretive orientations or maxims that are of broad significance for behavior analysis, and also two underappreciated major theoretical contributions.     

Science is a Gateway for Democracy

The Arab Spring of 2011 has highlighted an unprecedent fact in the region: it was the young and educated population who established the spearheading of change, and led their countries to democracy. In this paper, we try to analyze how science has been a key factor in these moves, in Tunisia as well as in Egypt, and how it can help to anchor democracy in these countries.     

社会主义市场经济需要雷锋精神

搞社会主义市场经济建设 ,还要不要学习和发扬雷锋精神 ?这是很久以来人们争论的一个话题。在有些人看来 ,雷锋精神是全心全意为人民服务 ,不计报酬 ,而搞社会主义市场经济则是多多赚钱 ,二者统一不起来 ,所以雷锋精神不容易学。这种看法虽然相当普遍 ,但我认为是不正确的。第一 ,把雷锋精神和社会主义市场经济对立起来是不对的。倡导雷锋精神 ,发展社会主义市场经济 ,都是要最大限度地调动人们发展生产的积极性 ,加速我国社会主义现代化建设的进程 ,因此 ,总的目的是一致的。雷锋精神的内容是十分丰富的 :有学习马列主义、毛泽东思想的“钉…     

Treatment for Youth in Short-Term Care Facilities: The Impact of a Comprehensive Behavior Management Intervention

We describe a comprehensive program to train emergency shelter staff in effective methods for dealing with youth who have behavioral and emotional problems; assess the degree to which staff implemented the treatment approach; measure the impact of the intervention on shelter-wide incidents such as out-of-control behavior, runaways, and violence against other youth; and examine pre-post changes in staff experiences at the shelter via anonymous surveys. Overall, the short-term shelter staff indicated adequate implementation of the intervention. The rate of youth incidents at the shelter significantly declined from pre to post assessment. Direct-care staff ratings of their satisfaction with their proficiency in behavior management and teaching youth skills increased significantly from pre to post implementation. These findings suggest that it is feasible to deliver an effective staff-training program to improve the behavior management and social skills of youth residing in short-term care facilities within the child welfare system.     

科学要求的是求真——访李启虎院士

2007年4月26日,本刊记者采访了中国科学院院士李启虎研究员。李院士是水声信号处理和声     

Psychology as a Science of Subject and Comportment,beyond the Mind and Behavior

The turn of qualitative inquiry suggests a more open, plural conception of psychology than just the science of the mind and behavior as it is most commonly defined. Historical, ontological and epistemological binding of this conception of psychology to the positivist method of natural science may have exhausted its possibilities, and after having contributed to its prestige as a science, has now become an obstacle. It is proposed that psychology be reconceived as a science of subject and comportment in the framework of a contextual hermeneutic, social, human behavioral science. Thus, without rejecting quantitative inquiry, psychology recovers territory left aside like introspection and pre-reflective self-awareness, and reconnects with traditions marginalized from the main stream. From this perspective psychology might also recover its credibility as a human science in view of current skepticism.     

A Historical Perspective on the Future of Behavior Science

Like all natural sciences, behavior science has much to offer toward an understanding of the world. The extent to which the promise of behavior science is realized, though, depends upon the extent to which we keep what we know before us. This paper considers fundamental concepts in behavior science, including the concepts of behavior, stimulation, setting conditions, and language. In considering these concepts, we revisit comments from B. F. Skinner and J. R. Kantor and also consider some areas of behavior analytic research and the implications they have for reconsidering long-held assumptions about the analysis of behavior. We hope that, in considering our foundations, the vitality and strength of the discipline might be enhanced, our impact on science improved, and our future secured.     

Racial Socialization,Private Regard,and Behavior Problems in African American Youth: Global Self-Esteem as a Mediator

Racial socialization messages appear to have varying impacts on the adjustment of African American youth. To further explore this, we examined how two types of racial socialization messages might influence African American youth internalizing and externalizing behavior. The Youth Self Report was used to measure these behavior outcomes. Given that racial socialization messages may not be directly linked to behavior outcomes, we considered private regard, an aspect of racial identity, to serve as a mediator. Additionally, we examined global self-esteem as a mediator of the complex dynamic between racial socialization messages and behavior outcomes. Adolescents in our study completed paper assessments. Majority of the participants were female (56?%) and reside in a metropolitan area in the Mid-Atlantic region. Adolescent’s ages ranged from 14 to 17 years with the average age being 15 years old. Path analysis revealed cultural pride and alertness to discrimination messages varied in their relation to private regard. Results also indicated a strong linkage between private regard, global self-esteem, and internalizing behaviors. Interestingly, the linkage between private regard, global self-esteem and externalizing behaviors was not as robust. Further, private regard appeared to directly and indirectly impact externalizing behaviors. The implications of these findings for racial socialization strategies, identity development (racial and global) as it pertains to behavior problems for African American adolescents are discussed.     

科学与迷信正在网络空间中较量

本文分析了一年多来,由自然灾害频发使国家、民族蒙受损失,导致人们精神上的迷茫,媒体中伪科学和迷信的话语权决不可低估的现实,提醒人们要用科学的知识、精神与方法去鉴别真伪,指出科学与伪科学迷信的较量,面临的形势仍很严峻。希望《科学与无神论》杂志向各级领导干部、公务员、媒体编辑记者、学者和教师进行科学与无神论的宣传。     

Science Studies Perspectives on Animal Behavior Research: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Gendered Impacts

This case study examines differences between how the animal‐behavior‐research fields of ethology and sociobiology account for female ornamental traits. I address three questions: 1) Why were female traits noted in early animal‐behavior writings but not systematically studied like male traits? 2) Why did ethology attend to female signals before sexual‐selection studies did? 3) And why didn't sexual‐selection researchers cite the earlier ethological literature when they began studying female traits? To answer these questions, I turn to feminist and other science‐studies scholars and philosophers of science. My main framework is provided by Bruno Latour, whose model I position within relevant feminist critique (Latour 1999 ). This approach provides an interactive account of how scientific knowledge develops. I argue that this embedded approach provides a more compelling reading of the relationship between gender and science than does focusing on androcentric biases. My overall aim is to counter arguments by some feminist biologists that feminist tools should emphasize the correction and removal of biases, and to address their fears that more rigorous critiques would lead to relativism or otherwise remove science as a tool for feminist use.     

A Comprehensive Framework for the Analysis of Ethical Behavior,with a Focus on Sales Organizations

A model describing the process of ethical decision making is proposed. This model, termed the Ethical Decision/Action Process (EDAP), expands on the scope of prior models, and uses a four-component moral decision structure as its central focus. The behaviors which take place within the moral decision structure are influenced by the decision maker's characteristics and decision outcomes, and can vary in light of situational moderators. Research results related to the model configuration are presented and analyzed, drawn from selling, sales management, and other settings. Research and management implications are provided.     

Behavioral Unit of Selection and the Operant-Respondent Distinction: The role of Neurophysiological Events in Controlling the Verbal Behavior of Theorizing about Behavior

The Psychological Record - The aim of this article is to discuss the following questions: Can neurophysiology reveal something new about behavior—something that we could not know only by...