Radical Behaviorism: Understanding Skinner’s Legacy
ABA isn’t built on buzzwords or pop psychology.
It’s built on a radical idea:
All behavior—even thoughts and feelings—can be analyzed through the lens of the environment.
This idea is the backbone of radical behaviorism, the philosophical foundation of ABA.
Let’s unpack what that means and why it matters.In behavior analysis, positive and negative don’t refer to how something feels.
Wait… “Radical”?
The term “radical” doesn’t mean extreme. It means root-level.
Radical behaviorism, developed by B.F. Skinner, takes a deep position:
Behavior includes everything a person does—both public and private.That means actions like speaking, moving, and writing…
But also:
- Thinking
- Feeling
- Remembering
- Daydreamingnvironment.
These private events are still behavior—they just happen inside the skin.
Private Events: Important, but Not the Cause
Here’s the key distinction:
Radical behaviorism does not treat emotions and thoughts as causes of behavior.
Instead, it recognizes them as behaviors that are influenced by—and that influence—environmental contingencies.
For example:
- “He hit because he was angry.” ← That’s a mentalistic explanation.
- “He hit because it resulted in escape from a difficult task.” ← That’s a behavioral explanation.
In radical behaviorism, emotions like anger are real—and relevant.
But they’re seen in context: they can affect how reinforcing or punishing an outcome is, not serve as standalone explanations.
Why This Matters for ABA
ABA doesn’t ignore thoughts or feelings—it just treats them the same way it treats any other behavior:
As something to be observed, measured when possible, and analyzed in relation to the environment.
When we say “ABA is based on the science of behavior,” we mean it’s based on a worldview that includes private events—without assuming they cause other behaviors.
This gives us a practical, testable science—not a guessing game about someone’s inner world.
Clinical Example: “She’s Just Frustrated”
A student throws her materials and walks away from the table.
The technician says:
“I think she’s just frustrated today.”
As a supervisor, you could respond:
- What task was presented before she left?
- Has she struggled with this task before?
- How long had she been working on it today?
- Did walking away result in a break or escape?
These questions keep the focus on observable context. But radical behaviorism allows us to take it a step further:
Frustration is a private event—and it may increase the aversiveness of the task.
When a client experiences repeated difficulty, internal states like frustration or fatigue may raise the value of escape as a reinforcer.
That doesn’t mean frustration caused the behavior. But it can help us understand why the same task might trigger escape behavior today, but not yesterday.
Radical behaviorism gives us the tools to ask:
“What private and public events might be interacting to change the value of this consequence right now?”
Common Misunderstanding: “So ABA Ignores Emotions?”
Not at all. In fact:
Radical behaviorism recognizes that private events matter—especially because they help explain why certain outcomes are more or less effective.
In ABA, we teach clients to label emotions, tolerate distress, and recognize emotional states.
We also recognize that private events can influence the motivating operations behind behavior.
But we don’t stop at emotions—we ask:
What environmental variables predict and maintain this behavior?
How to Practice It
- When someone explains behavior using emotions, pause and ask:
What are the observable conditions surrounding that behavior? - Help staff focus on antecedents and consequences, not assumptions.
- Reframe language like “He’s just being defiant” into:
“What might he be avoiding or escaping and why?” - In documentation, use clear environmental context when discussing emotions or private events.
Radical behaviorism doesn’t deny emotions.
It places them in a functional context—so we can take action.
Takeaway
Radical behaviorism includes thoughts and feelings—but doesn’t treat them as the causes of behavior.
Instead, it explains behavior in terms of what can be observed, reinforced, and changed.
That’s what makes ABA scientific—and effective.
Related Concepts from the Test Content Outline
Coming Up Next: Behaviorism vs. Mentalism vs. Methodological Behaviorism
In our next post, we’ll compare radical behaviorism to other perspectives that either reject private events or treat them as causes.
It’s a common source of confusion—and an exam favorite.
Let’s clear it up next week.
The Learning Behavior Analysis Team