Contemporary Behaviorisms in Debate

This book presents and discusses seven contemporary theoretical approaches to behavior analysis that build upon the foundations laid by B.F. Skinner’s radical behaviorism and renew its legacy. These contemporary approaches show that behaviorism is not a monolithic or static intellectual tradition, but a dynamic movement, which changes and adapts in face of new questions, issues, and perspectives. The death of behaviorism has been proclaimed since its early days – a “premature” assessment, to say the least – but this volume shows that behaviorism is alive and kicking, even thirty years after its main proponent passed away.

This volume contains seven sections, each one dedicated to a particular variation of contemporary behaviorism: Howard Rachlin’s teleological behaviorism, William Baum’s molar behaviorism and multiscale behavior analysis, John Staddon’s theoretical behaviorism, John Donahoe’s biological behaviorism, Gordon Foxall’s intentional behaviorism, Steven Hayes’ contextual behaviorism or contextual behavioral science, and Emilio Ribes-Iñesta’s field-theory behaviorism. Each section contains three chapters: the first one written by the original proponent of each of these forms of behaviorism, the second one written by a commentator, and the third one written by the proponent, replying to the commentator.

Contemporary Behaviorisms in Debate will be a valuable tool to behavior analysts and psychologists in general by providing an introduction to contemporary forms of behaviorism and promoting debates about the main philosophical issues faced by the field of behavior analysis today— issues that can directly influence future epistemological variations in the selection process of “behaviorisms.” By doing so the book is directed not only to the present, but, more importantly, toward the future of the field.

Diego Zilio received his Doctorate Degree (Sc.D.) in Experimental Psychology from the University of São Paulo (USP) at São Paulo in August of 2013. Zilio’s dissertation focused on the synthesis between behavior analysis and neuroscience. During this period he was a visiting scholar at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also holds a Masters Degree in Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology and Logic from the State University of São Paulo  (UNESP) at Marilia. Zilio’s master’s thesis provided a radical behavioristic perspective about the main problems in contemporary Philosophy of Mind. As an undergrad, he has a License in Psychology from the State University of São Paulo at Bauru. He is currently Assistant Professor at the Department of Social and Developmental Psychology and Permanent Professor at the Graduate Program in Psychology, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil. He has been and currently is advisor of several undergraduate and graduate students. Dr.Zilio is the head of the GEPPSAC – Behavior Analytic Social Psychology Research Group. He has published papers in a number of different journals, including The Behavior Analyst (Perspectives on Behavior Science), Behavior and Philosophy, The Psychological Record, Behavior and Social Issues, Review of General Psychology, Acta Comportamentalia, Brazilian Journal of Behavior Analysis, among others. He has published and organized several books in Portuguese, including A Natureza Comportamental da Mente: Behaviorismo Radical e Filosofia da Mente ("The Behavioral Nature of Mind: Radical Behaviorism and Philosophy of Mind") and, with Kester Carrara, the three-volume series Behaviorismos: Reflexões Históricas e Conceituais ("Behaviorisms: Conceptual and Historical Issues"). He is the general editor of  Behavior and Philosophy, and associated editor of Acta Comportamentalia, Brazilian Journal of Behavior Analysis and Perspectives on Behavior Analysis. Dr. Zilio develops philosophical, conceptual and historical research concerning behavior analysis, discussing topics such as the nature of mind and behavior, the relation of behavior analysis with neuroscience as well as the relation of behavior analysis with the social sciences. Currently, his main focus of interest is in systematizing a behavior-analytic social psychology.

Kester Carrara received his Doctorate Degree (Sc.D.) in Education from State University of São Paulo (UNESP) at Marilia. He also holds a Masters Degree in Psychology from Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC) at São Paulo. As an undergrad, he has a License in Psychology from the State University of São Paulo at Bauru. He is currently Professor Emeritus at the Department of Psychology, State University of São Paulo at Bauru. He has published papers in a number of different journals. He has published and organized several books, including the three-volume series Behaviorismos: Reflexões Históricas e Conceituais ("Behaviorisms: Conceptual and Historical Issues"), with Diego Zilio, and Radical Behaviorism and Cultural Analysis, published by Springer. He is the former general editor of Acta Comportamentalia. Dr. Carrara develops philosophical, conceptual and historical research concerning behavior analysis with a particular interested in how behavior analysis studies cultural practices.