B. F. Skinner's Science and Human Behavior: Some Further Consequences

Abstract

Skinner's (1953) Science and Human Behavior suggested that a science of human behavior could potentially have both negative and positive impacts on human welfare. The present paper first outlines how the contemporary gambling, and advertising, industry illustrate several of Skinner's (1953) concerns and then discusses how medicalization and the critical psychiatry movement share important epistemological similarities with Skinner's work. Skinner (1953) worried that a science of human behavior might negatively impact human welfare, and Skinner's concerns, and potential solutions, are explored in the context of current research.