出版社：Universidade Federal do Parana̧, Departamento de Psicologia
摘要：This essay presents the results of an analysis of Skinnerian texts, developed with the aim of makingexplicit the criteria with which Skinner uses the term efficient to qualify behaviors. Some texts inwhich he uses this term were examined: those that deal with reinforcement contingencies, contingencyplanning and cultures’ survival. It was verified that Skinner tended to use the expression “efficientbehavior” in reference to two themes: 1 – possibilities or chances of reinforcement and 2 – culturalbehavior and cultural survival. In the first case, he uses the term to qualify: operant responses, specificoperant response classes and special behavior repertoire that present more probability of producingenvironmental reinforcing consequences. In the second case, efficient behavior not only producesreinforcing consequences, but also socially relevant cultural consequences. It was observed that thecriteria made explicit here constitute part of the arguments with which Skinner defends contingencyplanning as the one way of assuring the learning of efficient human behavior.
