Wllliam T. Powers – Behavior: The Control Of Perception

 2005 Peter J. Burke, Chairman, Professor, Department of Sociology, University of California, co-editor, Advances in Identity Theory and Research.

“It is wonderful to see, after more than thirty years, the reprinting of Powers classic volume, Behavior: The Control of Perception, which was instrumental in introducing, defining, and outlining a control theory for understanding purposive behavior. From its inception, it has set forth a consistent, coherent and somewhat revolutionary view of the nature of the relationship between perception and behavior that people (indeed, all living things) use behavior to purposefully control their perceptions or sensing of important conditions in the environment. Two things make this reprinting significant. …First, though it was written over thirty years ago, it remains very contemporary and current in its view, perhaps because it was initially so prescient in understanding purposive behavior. Second, though it is not an overly long book, it covers virtually all aspects of the control process from simple control systems to multi-leveled hierarchical control systems, from learning and reorganization to memory, and it attends to the biological bases of the processes as well as the more social aspects like conflict and interpersonal control.”
–Professor Burke, back cover copy 2005<br /><br />1973 – Russell L. Ackoff
Silverberg Professor of Systems Sciences, University of Pennsylvania; Past President of the Operations Research Society of America; author of The Design of Social Research, co-author of On Purposeful Systems, fundamentals of Operation Research and other books. Publication of William Powers book, Behavior: The Control of Perception, is, in my opinion, a major event in the development of the psychology of perception. The completely new approach he has developed using cybernetic concepts cannot help but be seminal, instigating a new and important line of investigation of a wide range of psychological phenomena in addition to perception. His new way of looking at and conceptualizing old things will help to open the way for a series of important discoveries, and these because of the rigorous framework he provides are likely to be sounder scientifically than most of the earlier work that they will displace. 

Thomas S. Kuhn, Professor of the History of Science, Princeton University; author of The Structure of Scientific Revolution.

“Powers manuscript, Behavior: The Control of Perception, is among the most exciting I have read in some time. The problems are of vast importance, and not only to psychologists; the achieved synthesis is thoroughly original and the presentation is often convincing and almost invariably suggestive. I shall be watching with interest what happens in the directions in which Powers points.” 
–Aldine deGruyter, 1st Edition 1973

“[Behavior: The Control of Perception] points the way to a new psychology that is not only good science but also good practice inasmuch as it shows us how to deal more successfully with ourselves and the control systems we live with.”
Richard S. Marken, Ph.D.
Senior Behavioral Scientist, educator and
author ofMind Readings: Experimental Studies of Purpose Mind Readings II: Methods and Models in the Study of Purpose –Richard S. Marken

“Powers’ manuscript…is among the most exciting I have read in some time. The problems are of vast importance, and not only to psychologists; the achieved synthesis is thoroughly original and the presentation is often convincing and almost invariably suggestive. I shall be watching with interest what happens in the directions in which Powers points.” -Thomas Kuhn
Legendary philosopher/educator
Author, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions –Thomas Kuhn