| Abstract: | Points out that although it was offered simply as a fictional application of radical behaviorism to the design of society, Skinner's utopian novel Walden Two possessed strong emotional connotations for him. The "dark year," a period during his youth when he failed as a creative writer, displayed many earmarks of a major identity crisis. Walden Two was written during a mid-life crisis when identity issues again became highly salient for Skinner. The novel incorporated issues from both periods into its picture of an ideal society and helped him to resolve his developmental conflicts. He emerged with a restructured identity as public advocate for a behavioristic science of human conduct. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
