Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionV. Learning Theories 15. Skinner: Behavioral
Analysis(^466) © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2009
have observed the following covert behavior: “I am observing within myself in-
creasing degrees of frustration, which are raising the probability that I will inform
my boss that I am quitting.” This statement is more accurate than saying “I almost
quit my job,” and it refers to behavior that, although private, is within the boundaries
of scientific analysis.
Drives
From the viewpoint of radical behaviorism, drives are not causes of behavior, but
merely explanatory fictions. To Skinner (1953), drives simply refer to the effects of
deprivation and satiation and to the corresponding probability that the organism will
respond. To deprive a person of food increases the likelihood of eating; to satiate a
person decreases that likelihood. However, deprivation and satiation are not the only
correlates of eating. Other factors that increase or decrease the probability of eating
are internally observed hunger pangs, availability of food, and previous experiences
with food reinforcers.
If psychologists knew enough about the three essentials of behavior (an-
tecedent, behavior, and consequences), then they would know why a person behaves,
that is, what drives are related to specific behaviors. Only then would drives have a
legitimate role in the scientific study of human behavior. For the present, however,
explanations based on fictionalized constructs such as drives or needs are merely
untestable hypotheses.
460 Part V Learning Theories
Emotions are subjectively real and may have observable concomitants, but they are not directly observable themselves.