Baum, W. M. (2004).
The accidental behaviorist: A review of The new behaviorism by John Staddon.
Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
82, 73-78.
Staddon contends that behavior analysis may profit from theory, by which
he means theory that includes assumed elemental processes allowing derivation
of observed patterns of results. Behavior analysts who consider that our
field has matured to the point where we are secure in our descriptive grasp
of a range of phenomena will tend to agree. Unfortunately, the book’s
positive message is almost lost in a morass of distracting criticisms of
Skinner and behavior analysis in general. Instead of recognizing the
growth and maturation of the field, Staddon writes as if the field has
stagnated and blames that stagnation on what he takes to be Skinner’s
antipathy toward theory. Neither has behavior analysis become stagnated,
nor should Skinner be blamed for any shortcomings. Instead of acknowledging
Skinner&146;s foundational contributions to the field, however, Staddon devotes
most of this book to bashing Skinner and fails to distinguish his own view
of theory based on internal states from theory in cognitive psychology,
treating theoretical models and unseen processes as the “true” subject of
inquiry and behavior as only an indicator.
Key words:behaviorism, theory, internal states