Science and Human Behavior

Discuss the importance of Skinner’s use of redefinition in shaping reader understanding. For instance, how does the reclassification of concepts like “attention,” “instinct,” or “self-control” challenge everyday language and expose what he regards as “explanatory fictions”? To what extent is this literary strategy persuasive or alienating?

Analyze Skinner’s reliance on metaphor and analogy—such as comparing behavior shaping to a sculptor molding clay. How do these devices make complex scientific concepts accessible to a general audience? What risks might arise from simplifying scientific ideas through figurative language?

Explore Skinner’s discussions of punishment, reinforcement, and cultural design as they relate to the ethics of social engineering. Does Science and Human Behavior offer a persuasive framework for ethical governance, or does it risk legitimizing manipulation and authoritarian control?

How does Skinner critique traditional institutions such as religion, psychotherapy, and/or education? Consider the rhetorical strategies he employs to challenge these systems. How do these critiques reflect broader cultural tensions of mid-20th-century America?

To what extent does Science and Human Behavior reflect its historical moment, particularly in the postwar era of rapid scientific and technological advancement? How might the book’s arguments about control and cultural design be read differently today, given current debates on AI, surveillance, and behavioral data tracking?

Evaluate Skinner’s exploration of different solutions to the “problem of control,” including diversification of power, countercontrol, and governmental regulation. How does his analysis engage with democratic ideals? What tensions emerge between behavioral determinism and democratic freedom?

Consider the six-part structure of Science and Human Behavior. How does Skinner move from defining basic behavioral principles to exploring applied, cultural, and ethical dimensions of control? How does this organizational structure function rhetorically in an attempt to persuade readers of his scientific framework?

Analyze Skinner’s use of gendered and stereotypical examples—for instance the “pretty girl” or the “shrew” as controllers of behavior. How do such passages reflect the sexism of his time? How do they reflect broader issues of bias, discrimination, and/or power dynamics in fields that often present themselves as neutral or objective?