Perspectives in Psychology: XXIV Control of Coverants, the Operants of the Mind

Abstract

Some of the consequences of assuming that private events obey the same laws as public ones are explored. Corollaries to this assumption are that knowledge of the topography of a response is not required to control its frequency, and that Premack's differential probability hypothesis can be exploited to control reinforcement contingencies. Preliminary indications are that behavioristic analyses of private events are fruitful and will yield powerful tools in the control of other behaviors.