Peter Harzem (January 5, 1930 – May 26, 2008) was a Turkish-American psychologist who specialised in the field of behavior analysis.

Peter Harzem
Born(1930-01-05)January 5, 1930
Istanbul, Turkey
DiedMay 26, 2008(2008-05-26) (aged 78)
NationalityAmerican/Turkish
Alma materUniversity of London; Bangor University
Scientific career
FieldsPsychology, behaviourism
InstitutionsBangor University; Auburn University
Doctoral advisorHarry Hurwitz

Life

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Peter Harzem was born in Istanbul, Turkey, on January 5, 1930. His parents were Sukru and Saime Harzem. He initially worked as a newspaper reporter.

After the war he moved to London to complete his education. He was awarded a BSc Psychology from the University of London. He was strongly influenced by Harry Hurwitz who had established an operant laboratory at Birkbeck College. Harzem conducted a student project in this laboratory.

He then moved to the University College of North Wales which later became Bangor University where he completed his PhD and obtained a faculty position.

He moved to the United States in 1978 where he became Hudson Professor of Psychology at Auburn University, Alabama.[1]

He died on May 26, 2008.

Work

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Harzem established a reputation for his work on behaviour analysis.[2] At Bangor University, he published an influential volume (Harzem & Miles, 1978). He was also concerned with the role of language.[3] In his later years he became interested in what he termed the discrediting of John B. Watson (Harzem, 1993; 2001). Following on from Hurwitz, Harzen had a continuing interest in the nature of science (Harzem, 2007).[4]

Positions

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  • Associate editor, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.[5]

Publications

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  • Harzem P. (2007). A brief history of knowledge: Science and non-science in the understanding of human nature. In: Ribes-Inesta E, Burgos J.E, editors. Knowledge, cognition, and behavior: Proceedings of the ninth Biannual Symposium on the Science of Behavior. Guadalajara, Mexico: Universidad de Guadalajara. pp. 11–30.
  • Harzen, P.E. (2004). Behaviorism for new psychology: What was wrong with behaviorism and what is wrong with it now. Behavior and Philosophy, 32, 5–12.
  • Harzen, P.E. (2001). The Intellectual Dismissal of John B. Watson: Notes on a Dark Cloud in the History of the Psychological Sciences. Behavioral Development Bulletin, 10(1), 15–16.
  • Harzem, P. (1993). The discrediting of John Broadus Watson. Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis, 19, 39–66.
  • Zeiler M.D, Harzem P. (Eds.) (1983). Biological factors in learning. New York: Wiley.
  • Harzem, P.E. (Ed.)(1981). Predictability, Correlation, and Contiguity New York: Wiley
  • Zeiler M.D, Harzem P. (Eds.) (1979). Reinforcement and the organization of behavior. New York: Wiley.
  • Harzem, P.E., & Miles, T.R. (1978) Conceptual Issues In Operant Psychology. Chichester: Wiley.

References

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  1. ^ Ribes-Inesta, Emilio (2008). "Peter Harzem (1930-2008)". The Psychological Record. 58: 491–494. doi:10.1007/BF03395633. S2CID 140784377.
  2. ^ Buskist, William (2009). "Remembering peter harzem: teacher-scholar extraordinaire". Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 91 (3): 287–291. doi:10.1901/JEAB.2009.91-287. PMC 2677561. PMID 19949487.
  3. ^ Ribes-Iñesta, Emilio (2008). "Peter Harzem (1930–2008): A reverence for language". Behavior and Philosophy. 36: 1–4.
  4. ^ Buskist, William (2000). "Teaching Behavior Analysis and Psychology in Social Context: An Interview with Peter Harzem". Teaching of Psychology. 27 (2): 149–154. doi:10.1207/S15328023TOP2702_13. S2CID 144997845.
  5. ^ Buskist, William (2009). "Remembering Peter Harzem: teacher-scholar extraordinaire". Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 91 (3): 287–291. doi:10.1901/JEAB.2009.91-287. PMC 2677561. PMID 19949487.