Pitfalls of Behavioral Selectionism

Abstract

Numerous analogies have been offered to relate evolutionary and behavioral phenomena. B. F. Skinner (1981/1988), in particular, has suggested that similar processes of selection operate at the levels of evolution, behavior, and culture. This essay examines Skinner’s proposed analogy between natural selection and operant reinforcement. We argue that the analogy fails to characterize a shared causal structure. Operant reinforcement mimics superficial aspects of natural selection through entirely different mechanisms; hence no detailed understanding of operant behavior can be expected from selectionist notions. Selection analogies with respect to reinforced behavior are generally useless and probably misleading. The failure of Skinner’s selection metaphor reflects on the current relations of some parts of psychology to evolutionary theory.