Abstract

CARRARA, Kester  and  STRAPASSON, Bruno Angelo. In which sense(s) is radical the Radical Behaviorism?. Acta comport. [online]. 2014, vol.22, n.1, pp. 101-115. ISSN 0188-8145.

The use of the adjective radical to identify the variety of behaviorism proposed by Skinner is current nowadays. However, historically, this qualifier was not exclusively applied to Skinner's proposal and its polysemy tends to generate inaccuracies in the interpretation of what characterizes Skinner's Radical Behaviorism. This article aims to clarify the most appropriate sense of radical when applied to Skinner's behaviorism by means of four articulated activities: (1) the description of the etymological origins of the word radical and its different meanings in Portuguese, Spanish and English, (2) a reconstruction and analysis of the evolution of a historical setting that culminated in the use of the term in the behaviorist context, (3) an analysis of the main meanings of radical when associated with behaviorism, (4) an examination of some ways in which the use of the term associated with behaviorism is consistent, and the current and future implications for Radical Behaviorism and Behavior Analysis in a scientific context.

Keywords : Radical Behaviorism; Classic Behaviorism; Behavior Analysis; Methodological Behaviorism; Operationism; Moderate Behaviorism.

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