And remember the 'Two Freds' (Skinner and Keller) presentations at ABA (Association for Behavior Analysis) meetings!
On Jan 17, 2014, at 11:04 AM, Ken Steele wrote: > > A followup to Rick's comments. > > Skinner once described the following situation. (I am blanking on the > source.) He had made an off-the-cuff joke which produced a strong reaction in > his audience. He describes going back to his office and trying to remember > the words and intonation he used so he could reproduce the effect at some > future occasion. > > You can see similar effects if you look at early and late career routines by > comics such as George Carlin and Bob Newhart. > > Ken > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Kenneth M. Steele, Ph. D. [email protected] > Professor > Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu > Appalachian State University > Boone, NC 28608 > USA > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > On 1/17/2014 11:17 AM, [email protected] wrote: >> -----Original Message----- From: Mike Palij [mailto:[email protected]] >> >> A behavioral account might be relevant to certain situations but are >> unlikely in others (e.g., how would a behaviorist explain satire?). >> >> -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] >> >> ------------------------------------------ >> >> I think, without discussing Skinner's specific take on it, a >> behaviorist would study language, humor and satire in terms of the >> overt behavior produced and the consequence it has. Using the >> framework of operant conditioning, a behavior (either a bodily action >> or a verbalization) is produced in a particular situation and it has >> a consequence. That consequence may act to reinforce the behavior >> marked by an increase in the behavior in the future in similar >> circumstances or to punish the behavior marked by a decrease in that >> behavior in the future in those circumstances. Of course, many >> behaviors also occur without consequence in certain situations and >> such behaviors are also less likely to occur in the future. >> >> This operant explanation of verbal behavior is easily seen in the >> behavior of infants and young children in which case many >> verbalizations are obviously shaped by their consequences to occur >> again or (if they are unsuccessful) not to recur. It becomes more >> complicated as we get older but I have occasionally asked my students >> to see their daily verbal behavior through a behavioral lens. It >> isn't something you can keep up for long without becoming very >> self-conscious about every word you say but what I suggest is that >> they examine their utterances and the utterances of others throughout >> the day from a behavioral framework. What consequence maintains these >> verbalizations? It is easy in cases like "please pass the salt" but >> it becomes almost painfully self-revelatory when you get to what you >> say to friends. The use of humor also often has predictable >> consequences, given particular environmental situations, which will >> clearly have an effect on the use of humor in these situations in the >> future. Analyzing the use of humor in this way can be especially >> dispiriting but is sometimes quite revealing (although, in some >> cases, ignorance is bliss). >> >> If you want to avoid painful self-realizations, you may also want to >> refrain from thinking too deeply about what reinforces posts to >> TIPS. >> >> Rick Paul Brandon Emeritus Professor of Psychology Minnesota State University, Mankato [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=32842 or send a blank email to leave-32842-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
