THE CONCEPT OF OPERANT BEHAVIOR AS A PROBLEM

Abstract

Since before the Watson’s article “Psychology as a behaviorist views it” is questioning what is the object of study and intervention in Psychology. The inquiry, under Philosophy by Bertrand Russell in 1927, also indicated problems with what was proposed by Watson in that article. Skinner and several scientists and professionals that followed he began to develop the concept of “behavior”, particularly the concept of “operant”, that also with the concept of “contingency of reinforcement”, produced a major change in the concept of object of study and work in psychology. Such change still continues with major issues and controversies, although such change be the most consistent, durable and coherent with the conceptions of science that was configured at the end of the twentieth century, as scientific contribution to humanity. The accuracy of the concepts involved with these two terms is also subject to examination, analysis, reviews, and show several inaccuracies and controversies as part of the development problems of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and the work of behavior analysts to develop new and relevant behaviors in society. These concepts are examined as part of the constitution of the concepts of “operant behavior,” distinct from “response”, “activity” or “contingency of reinforcement”. The behavior as a system of interactions among classes of aspects of an environment, classes of activities of an organism and classes of subsequent environmental aspects of such activities is the object of examination of this text. Perhaps the concept of behavior is still more part of the problem than a solution in the context of working with this type of phenomenon. Keywords: operant behavior, classes of responses, contingencies, contingencies of reinforcement, contingencies of three terms