The paradigm of theoretical behaviorism which rests on the premise of a passive organism is discussed. It is argued that the learning-theory movement promoted scientific understanding of the active organism which, in an ideological sense, it tended to deny. (MS)

It is through the selection of responses that are to serve as the organism's guests that many of the organism's characteristics and outcomes are determined. (MS)

Discusses the work of S. H. White, W. F. Overton and D. M. Baer. (MS)

Reviews research on verbal labeling and shortTerm memory. (Author/WY)

The philosophies underlying the learning and structural theories used in psychology are described in this article. It is argued that a dialectical view provides some ways to breach the chasm between learning theory and the study of human development. (Author/DB)

Discusses the use of a dialectical approach to personality assessment and psychotherapy. Focusing on the concept of change, a dialectical approach would emphasize the person as process, would focus on growth, and would emphasize treatment of clients within the context of other human relationships. (BD)

Argues that a better understanding of developmental processes is provided by three types of operant research -- laboratory behavioral descriptions, descriptions of naturalistic behavior-environment interdependencies, and predictive naturalistic studies. The usefulness of these processes are examined in light of the goals of life span developmental…

Historically, cognitive-developmental and behavior-analytic approaches to the study of human behavior change and development have been presented as incompatible alternative theoretical and methodological perspectives. This presumed incompatibility has been understood as arising from divergent sets of metatheoretical assumptions that take the form…

Changes in parental behavior were investigated in Cologne, West Germany, in 1960 and 1968, and upstate New York in 1960-1962 and 1965 using ratings made by 6th grade school children. The hypothesized changes were confirmed for 7 parental behaviors. (Author/WY)

Proposes an operant framework for the analysis of environment-intelligence interactions in old age and calls for an implementation of research aimed at examining the range of modifiability of intellectual proficiency in the elderly. Intellectual decrement is interpreted to reflect the lack of supportive environmental contingencies. (Author/SDH)

Criticizes the operant approach to the study of life span development from a theoretical behaviorism view. It is argued that the operant approach is too limited in its scope to enhance significantly the conceptualization and understanding of life span development. (Author/DB)