| This introduction focuses on basic research findings and illustrates behavior principles with everyday human examples. The Second Edition has retained the positive features of the first edition, while adding new aspects as suggested by reviewers, instructors and students. It now contains a more thorough treatment of the principles and processes of respondent conditioning, dividing its coverage into two chapters—one devoted to reflexes and simple conditioning and the other focused on compound conditioning and complex respondent processes. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
This book updates and expands an excellent textbook on principles of learned behaviors, the first two editions of which were authored by David Pierce and Frank Epling. Sadly, Frank died before this third edition, and Carl Cheney now joins David in describing developments in contemporary behavioral theory and research. Both active researchers, Pierce and Cheney are adherents of a coherent theory pioneered by B. F. Skinner and known as experimental analysis of behavior. According to this view, to explain human behavior, we must understand the interactions between an individual and his or her environment. Behavior is lawful, and the laws involve relationships between responses, on the one hand, and environmental events on the other. Consequences of our actions help to determine our future actions. The power of this framework extends from simple conditioning preparations to imitation, language, psychopathology, and culture. This power is demonstrated throughout the text |