Citation

Bernard LL. Am. J. Sociol. 1932; 38(1): 1-9.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1932, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/215975

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The behavioristic viewpoint in social psychology is simply that of the application of a naturalistic or scientific technique to the study of the processes of the adjustment of individuals to their environment in a social situation. The behaviorist must therefore study the technique of the integration of social-adjustment behavior patterns under the conditioning controls of environmental stimuli, and he must also analyze and classify the environment which provides these stimuli. (Results of this analysis of behavior patterns and of cultural patterns or environments indicated in the paper.) Criticisms of the behaviorists working in sociology and social psychology have come from those who prefer a traditional to a naturalistic and experimental validation of knowledge, from those who do not prefer traditional validation of knowledge as a procedure but who resent the upset of tradition and custom by experimental analysis, and by other minor groups as indicated.