Theoretical Concepts in Neobehavioristic Theories

The paper examines in an exact way the role of theoretical concepts within some kinds of neobehavioristic theories, expecially within representational mediation theories (such as Osgood’s). Even if Craig’s elimination result shows that theoretical concepts are logically dispensable within the deductive tasks of neobehavioristic theories, open theoretical concepts are shown to be indispensable within inductive systematization and explanation. Furthermore, there are a number of epistemological, ontological, semantical, and methodological features which make theoretical concepts philosophically and heuristically desirable within neobehavioristic theories.

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