Radical behaviorism's theory of perception

• Autor(es):

  Lopes, Carlos Eduardo (Universidade Federal de São Carlos. Departamento de Filosofia e Metodologia das Ciências);

  Abib, José Antônio Damásio (Universidade Federal de São Carlos).

• Fonte:

  Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa; volume 18, número 2, páginas 129-137. Agosto 2002.

• Assuntos:

  perception;

  radical behaviorism;

  perceptive behavior;

  chaining;

  self-stimulation.

• Resumo:

  Perception is explained by Skinner by means of the concept of perceptive behavior - a complex behavior which is interrelated with many others. The study of perception in Skinner's theory can be divided into two stages: the study of perceptive behavior as precurrent and the study of the precurrent of perceptive behavior. In the first case, the investigation undergoes the process of solving problems, in which perceptive behavior plays a fundamental role modifying the environment, which to allow the emission of discriminative behavior and the solution of problem. In the second case, the investigation deals with a series of others behaviors, such as purpose, attention, and conscience, which modifies the probability of emission of perceptive behavior. The analysis of the relations between perceptive behavior and others behaviors, results in an outline of a theory of perception in radical behaviorism, which is more convincing than mentalistic explanation which make use of the "theory of the copy".

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