About Teleological Behaviorism.
Teleological behaviorism is clarified as a distinct, purposive strand of behaviorism—worth knowing if you teach or debate behavior-analytic philosophy.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Rachlin (2013) wrote short stories to show what teleological behaviorism means.
Each story acts like a fable. The tales strip away jargon so you can see the idea in action.
What they found
The paper finds that "purpose" can live in outward behavior stretched over time.
You do not need invisible mind-stuff to talk about goals or plans.
How this fits with other research
Staats (1994) warned that teleology misleads analysts. Rachlin (2013) answers with friendly stories that keep the concept while dropping the mystery.
Okouchi (1999) already praised teleological talk. The 2013 piece goes further by giving clear, teachable examples you can use in class.
Lazzeri et al. (2025) later build on the same theme. They spell out how selection by consequences gives teleological words a safe, scientific home.
Why it matters
If you train staff or debate philosophy, these allegories hand you a fast way to explain why behavior can be both purposeful and physical. Use the stories when someone asks how a science of behavior can talk about plans without peeking inside the skull.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Misconceptions abound about teleological behaviorism (TB). Because very few people other than the author publicly call themselves teleological behaviorists, the fault must be mine. The present article is an attempt to clear up those misconceptions. First I will try to indicate what teleological behaviorism is not. Then, in the form of six fables (loosely connected stories, allegories, analogies, fairy tales, and arguments), I will try to give the reader an understanding of what teleological behaviorism actually is.
The Behavior analyst, 2013 · doi:10.1007/BF03392307