B. F. Skinner’s legacy twenty years after (1990-2010): Behavior analysis in Ibero-America

Abstract

Twenty years after his death (August 18th 1990), B. F. Skinner leaves five major living legacies: 1) radical behaviorism; 2) the experimental analysis of behavior; 3) applied behavior analysis; 4) the Skinner box; 5) the Horcones community (Mexico). Behavior analysis is recognized for its international active presence. Its growth provides a set of opportunities for knowledge and technology transference and reminds us the importance of working for the development of educational and research programs and the arrangement of contingencies which enable its advance. In Ibero-America, behavior analysis, as a Skinnerian legacy, has been an important tradition within psychology. In this article we will present a current synthesis of the central Ibero-American contributions to Behavior analysis. The panorama of Behavior analysis in Ibero-America will be analyzed according to the following dimensions: 1) the most relevant figures; 2) the academic community related to the Behavior Analytic tradition; and 3) the most important research lines. Finally, some of the most general characteristics of Ibero-American Behavior analysis are included.