Psychology of B F Skinner offers a guide to the work of Skinner - his theories and their application in the field of behaviourism. Behaviourists commonly consider Skinner's work to have been misrepresented, misunderstood, and to some extent defamed. In this book, William O'Donohue and Kyle Ferguson illuminate Skinner's contributions to psychology, his philosophy of science, his experimental research programme (logical positivism) and the behavioral principles that emerged from it, and applied aspects of his work. The authors also: clarify the work of Skinner, and put it into historical and philosophical context; rebut criticism of Skinner's work, including radical behaviourism; discuss key developments by others that have derived from Skinner's work; briefly discuss biographical details; Extensive use of examples and illustrations demonstrate the application and usefulness of Skinner's work.
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.
Introduction B F Skinner The Man Skinner's Intellectual Influences Skinner's Philosophy of a Science of Human Behaviour Radical Behaviorism Operant Conditioning and the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour Skinner on Cognition Skinner on Language Applied Behavior Analysis B F Skinner Expert Self-Manager Skinner's Views on Bettering Society Criticisms of Skinner Skinner's Legacy B F Skinner's Published Works
"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 * "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 -- Michael Clayton * The Psychological Record *
