Science and Human Behavior, dualism, and conceptual modification.

The paper walks you through Skinner’s plan for beating mind-body dualism.

It shows how to swap mental words for behavior words without losing meaning.

The author calls the plan “conceptual modification” and gives three moves you can use.

The three moves are: translate the description, replace the explanation, and treat self-talk as plain verbal behavior.

Using these moves lets you keep science and common sense while dropping ghost-in-the-machine talk.

Michael (2003) gives the same year and same book shout-out, calling Skinner’s 1953 text your “arm’s reach” guide. The two papers act like twin tutorials—one hands you maxims, the other hands you tools.

Abbott (2013) updates the job for modern BCBAs. Where Emerson (2003) targets old mentalisms like “mind,” Abbott (2013) targets today’s jargon like “motivating operation.” Both papers use Skinner’s 1945 trick: ask what verbal contingencies keep the word alive.

Hansen et al. (1989) tried the same translation game on logic terms. They turned “reasoning” into learned verbal operants; Emerson (2003) turns “thinking” into self-talk operants. Same method, new turf.

Next time a parent says, “He hit because he was frustrated,” you can translate instead of argue. Say, “We saw escape-maintained hitting when demands piled up.” You keep the useful info, drop the mental cause, and stay in your science lane. That single shift builds buy-in and keeps treatment plans clear.