Why is the field called behavior analysis?
The term ‘behavior analysis’ was coined by B. F. Skinner, generally considered the founder of behavior analysis. The term was meant to distinguish the field as one that focuses on behavior as a subject in its own right, rather than as an index or manifestation of something happening at some other level (in the mind, brain, psyche, etc.). Skinner believed that thinking and feeling were covert forms of behavior. “Thoughts and feelings do not explain behavior,” he wrote, “they are more behavior to be explained.” Skinner thought that the concept of mind belonged to the philosophers, and that science should focus on behavior. These ideas form the core of behavior analysis today.
