ABSTRACT
Plotkin has summarized, in a concise and illuminating manner, the history of the evolutionary analogy as applied to learning processes. That part of his chapter could, appropriately, serve as an introduction to my own contribution. His account of that particular aspect of Skinner’s theory reflects a careful, sympathetic and critical reading of Skinner’s work, as elegantly mentioned in the last paragraph of his conclusion. Plotkin uses essentially the same references as I do in Skinner’s writing chronology. Divergences on minor points will not be discussed here because of lack of space (for instance, I do not agree that it was only in the last ten years that Skinner realized the identity of process; he has done since 1953, if we want to retain written evidence only).
