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Up with this I shall not put: 10 Reasons why I disagree with Branch and Vollmer on Behavior used as a count noun
- Source :
- The Behavior Analyst. 27:99-106
- Publication Year :
- 2004
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2004.
-
Abstract
- Branch and Vollmer (2004) argue that use of the word behavior as a count noun is ungrammatical and, worse, mischaracterizes and ultimately degrades the concept of the operant. In this paper I argue that use of behavior as a count noun is a reflection of its grammatical status as a hybrid of count and mass noun. I show that such usage is widespread across colloquial, referential, and scientific documents including the writings of major figures in behavior analysis (most notably B. F. Skinner), books describing its applications, and its major journals. Finally, I argue against the assertion that such usage degrades the concept of the operant, at least in any meaningful way, and argue instead that employing eccentric definitions for ordinary words and using arcane terms to describe everyday human behavior risks diminishing the influence of behavior analysis on human affairs.
- Subjects :
- Social Psychology
business.industry
05 social sciences
Assertion
Count noun
computer.software_genre
Linguistics
Clinical Psychology
Mass noun
0502 economics and business
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology
Artificial intelligence
Psychology
business
computer
050203 business & management
Natural language processing
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 21968918 and 07386729
- Volume :
- 27
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Behavior Analyst
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........64014b4c71ebcdea988da050372d1dce
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03392095