Skinner’s Concept of Efficient Behavior

• Main Authors: Ieda Maria Bertola Mazzo, Maura Alves Nunes Gongora
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal do Paraná 2009-12-01
• Series: Interação em Psicologia
• Subjects: B. F. Skinner; comportamento eficaz; chances de reforço; comportamento cultural
• Online Access: http://revistas.ufpr.br/psicologia/article/view/12270

This essay presents the results of an analysis of Skinnerian texts, developed with the aim of making explicit the criteria with which Skinner uses the term efficient to qualify behaviors. Some texts in which he uses this term were examined: those that deal with reinforcement contingencies, contingency planning and cultures’ survival. It was verified that Skinner tended to use the expression “efficient behavior” in reference to two themes: 1 – possibilities or chances of reinforcement and 2 – cultural behavior and cultural survival. In the first case, he uses the term to qualify: operant responses, specific operant response classes and special behavior repertoire that present more probability of producing environmental reinforcing consequences. In the second case, efficient behavior not only produces reinforcing consequences, but also socially relevant cultural consequences. It was observed that the criteria made explicit here constitute part of the arguments with which Skinner defends contingency planning as the one way of assuring the learning of efficient human behavior.   Keywords: B. F. Skinner; efficient behavior; reinforcement chances; cultural behavior.