Premium
ON THE ORIGIN AND PRESERVATION OF CUMULATIVE RECORD IN ITS STRUGGLE FOR LIFE AS A FAVORED TERM
Author(s) -
Morris Edward K.,
Smith Nathaniel G.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1901/jeab.2004.82-357
Subject(s) - terminology , term (time) , subject (documents) , psychology , subject matter , computer science , epistemology , cognitive science , linguistics , library science , philosophy , pedagogy , curriculum , physics , quantum mechanics
This paper offers a case study of the origins, emergence, and evolution of the term cumulative record as the name for the means by which B. F. Skinner brought his behavior under the control of his subject matter. Our methods included on‐line searches, reviews of Skinner's publications, and journal codings and counts. The results reveal that the term is not originally attributable to Skinner, but emerged earlier in ordinary language and in another discipline—education. It was not even original to Skinner in print in his own science. Still, the term was once original to him, which we address with additional analyses of his having originated and advanced it. We conclude with a discussion the constraints of our methods, suggestions for future research, and the variable appreciation of technology and terminology in science studies.