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Consciousness and theoretical behaviorism

Publication ,  Journal Article
Staddon, JER
Published in: American Zoologist
January 1, 2000

SYNOPSIS. There are three domains of experience that concern students of behavior: Domain 1. The domain of felt experience, the phenomenological domain. Domain, 2. The domain of physiology, the real-time functioning of the brain. Domain 3. The domain of behavioral data, "intersubjectively verifiable" reports and judgments by experimental subjects. Consciousness has meanings in each of these domains. Domain 1 consciousness is beyond the reach of science as public knowledge. Empathy and plausible inference may tell us that our spouse, or our dog, is as conscious as we are. Science cannot. Research in Domains 2 and 3 permits us to infer similarities and differences between human and non-human psychology. Unfortunately, these will never permit us to know 'what it is like' to be another creature. An example from the study of motion perception illustrates the point that the fruitless attempt to answer this question can actually impede the objective study of behavioral processes we share with non-human animals.

Duke Scholars

Published In

American Zoologist

DOI

ISSN

0003-1569

Publication Date

January 1, 2000

Volume

40

Issue

6

Start / End Page

874 / 882

Related Subject Headings

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0608 Zoology
  • 0602 Ecology
  • 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Staddon, J. E. R. (2000). Consciousness and theoretical behaviorism. American Zoologist, 40(6), 874–882. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/40.6.874
Staddon, J. E. R. “Consciousness and theoretical behaviorism.” American Zoologist 40, no. 6 (January 1, 2000): 874–82. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/40.6.874.
Staddon JER. Consciousness and theoretical behaviorism. American Zoologist. 2000 Jan 1;40(6):874–82.
Staddon, J. E. R. “Consciousness and theoretical behaviorism.” American Zoologist, vol. 40, no. 6, Jan. 2000, pp. 874–82. Scopus, doi:10.1093/icb/40.6.874.
Staddon JER. Consciousness and theoretical behaviorism. American Zoologist. 2000 Jan 1;40(6):874–882.

Published In

American Zoologist

DOI

ISSN

0003-1569

Publication Date

January 1, 2000

Volume

40

Issue

6

Start / End Page

874 / 882

Related Subject Headings

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0608 Zoology
  • 0602 Ecology
  • 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology