The New Behaviorism

The New Behaviorism: Foundations of Behavioral Science, 3rd Edition, offers an alternative framework intended to direct experimental psychology toward scientific parsimony. The book outlines the core of science as an economical description of nature, seeking to explain behavioral phenomena while steering away from an undisciplined preoccupation with mental life.

The volume presents a concise history of behaviorism alongside a critical examination of radical behaviorism, its philosophy, and its social applications. Author John Staddon advocates for theoretical behaviorism to clarify issues such as consciousness that earlier traditions often neglected or confused.

Bridging laboratory experimentation with broader social concerns, the text explores applications in law, punishment, healthcare, and education.