Upon Further Reflection—The Affinity of Noam Chomsky and B. F. Skinner

Abstract

Comparisons between Noam Chomsky and B. F. Skinner show several striking affinities with respect to their biographical history, academic roots, apprehensions about capitalism and the media, and their social activism. In addition to outlining these points of correspondence, the present paper discusses the Chomsky-Skinner language debate by focusing on the integrative possibilities of the 2 approaches. Overall, Chomsky and Skinner may have had worldviews that were more compatible than incompatible.

Integrating B.F. Skinner’s Writings with Some Current Research in Human Creativity

“…In addition, Skinner’s writings anticipated current problems in the gambling, and advertising, industry (Goddard, 2017) and have a natural affinity with current research in personality change, implicit theories of intelligence, skill learning, and language (Goddard, 2018). Perhaps surprisingly, Skinner and Chomsky may also have shared worldviews that were more compatible than incompatible (Goddard, 2015). The present paper joins these efforts by showing that Skinner’s writings also shared important similarities with some current research in creativity.…”

Extending B. F. Skinner's Selection by Consequences to Personality Change, Implicit Theories of Intelligence, Skill Learning, and Language

“…For example, Skinnerian behaviorism shares important similarities with positive psychology (Adams, 2012), current psychological research (Goddard, 2012), and critical psychiatry/psychology (Goddard, 2014), suggesting that Skinnerian behaviorism may be reintegrated with mainstream psychology (Overskeid, 2008). Skinner's (1953) writings also anticipated current problems in the gambling and advertising industry (Goddard, 2017) and, perhaps surprisingly, Skinner and Chomsky may have shared worldviews that were more compatible than incompatible (Goddard, 2015). The present article joins these efforts by extending Skinner's concept of selection by consequences to four additional topics in psychology (personality change, implicit theories of intelligence, skill learning, and language) and highlights the advantages of selectionism, in contrast to essentialism.…”

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

“…For example, Skinnerian behaviorism shares important similarities with positive psychology (Adams, 2012), current empirical research in psychology (Goddard, 2012), and critical psychology (Goddard, 2014), suggesting Skinnerian behaviorism may be reintegrated with mainstream psychology (Overskeid, 2008). Perhaps surprisingly, Skinner and Chomsky may also have shared worldviews that were more compatible than incompatible (Goddard, 2015). The present paper joins these efforts by showing that Skinner's (1953) writings anticipated current problems in the gambling (and advertising) industry and shared important similarities with the sociological concept of medicalization and the contemporary critical psychiatry movement.…”