The terms Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement and Operant Conditioning were coined by B.F Skinner. Positive and Negative Punishment had nothing to do with Skinner – he openly opposed the use of Punishment. In Skinners own words – Punishing contingencies are the reverse of reinforcing. But trainers blame Skinner. This is fraud.
Anyone that is using terms such as these are declaring themselves to be a Radical Behaviorist. Problem is – they don’t understand these terms. Positive Reinforcement is not Have A Treat. And Operant Conditioning is not the Quadrants Of Dog Training. Welcome to the scam called dog training.
But people come to me and argue openly about the contents of books they refuse to read. They got it all figured out in their own minds – making up psychology as they go along.
As a Radical Behaviorist – Skinner would tell you to replace your dog with a human and ask what you would do different. This is not dog training – this is not convenient.
Psychology is the study of the mind and of behaviors – they need to be treated as independent of each other. Psychology itself is to be understood – not applied. Psychology is about understanding the causes of behaviors. It’s supposed to be “applied” through “Applied Behavior Analysis” – but ABA has been redefined into the Quadrants of dog training.
Applied Behavior Analysis is supposed to be applying the understanding of the cause of the behaviors. Make it all make sense.
All I have been asking people to do is to read a an actual book from B.F Skinner – but I get ridiculed. Trainers are declaring themselves Radical Behaviorists – but they ridicule the science. They have never read Skinner.
35 pages. Are you willing to read just 35 pages of one book for the sake of your dog? That would take the average person one hour. Find and read the summary – prove to yourself that you are being lied to.
There is no money in pushing the real psychology of B.F Skinner – but the cash cow is hiding Konrad Most – and blaming Skinner. Welcome to dog training.
Man fears that which he does not understand – if he can’t control it – he destroys it.
https://dogtrainingisascam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/skinner_about_behaviorism.pdf