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Conceptions about Radical Behaviorism in Folha de S.Paulo’s Publications

Abstract

Often radical behaviorism and behavior analysis are presented in the media by means of negative stereotypes, thus possibly making harder the diffusion of its proposals to potential target audience. Taking that into account, this paper categorized publications from the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo since its foundation, in 1921, until 2015, regarding radical behaviorism and behavior analysis. To reach such goal, 227 paragraphs were selected containing the terms Skinner or behaviorism from the newspaper. In general, excerpts that criticized radical behaviorism, parts that exposed historical and conceptual misconception, that problematized radical behaviorism, that showed some correct aspect and that presented the term behaviorism in a generic way were found. Some specially misunderstood topics were identified: the view of behavior analysis as an approach that defends control, outdated and overcome by cognitive theories, is only capable of explaining simple human or non-human behavior and interested in observable behavior. We recommend behavior analysts that communicate their proposals with an emphasis on control as an inherent characteristic of behavioral relations to take into account it is a constantly evolving science and an approach interested in dealing with any behavior, whether occurring over or under the skin.

Keywords:
Behavior Analysis; Behaviorism; Mass Media; Scientific Communication; Skinner

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