ABA as a Science Flashcards
Goals of Science
Prediction and Control
Natural Science
Empirical phenomena; Direct observation & measurement of phenomena or its premanent products
Types of natural science
Physics, chemistry, biology, behavior analysis
Social science
Hypothetical constructs outside of the natural realm; Indirect observation & measurement
Types of social science
Psychology, sociology, political science
Philosophical assumptions
Determinism, empiricism, parsimony, philosophical doubt, pragmatism, experimentation
Determinism
The universe is a lawful and orderly place.
Empiricism
Objective observation with thorough description and quantification of the phenomena of interest, behavior.
Experimentation
Systematic manipulation of an independent variable
Replication
Repeating any part of an experiment
Parsimony
Requires that all simple, logical explanations for the phenomena of interest be ruled out experimentally before more complex or abstract explanations are considered
Philosophical Doubt
Continually question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact.
Pragmatism
Assesses the truth of theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application
Behaviorism
The philosophy or world view underlying behavior analysis. Posits that behavior is the subject matter of our science.
Radical Behaviorism
B.F Skinner’s Philosophy of the science of human behavior. Most influential type of behaviorism for guiding the science and practice of behavior analysis.
Determinants of Behavior
Causes of behavior; probablistic
Selection
The process in which repeated cycle occur of variation, interaction with the environment, and differential replication as a function of the interaction.
Natural Selection
The environment selects which variations survive and are passed on.
Cultural Selection
Cultural practices evolve as they contribute to the success of the practicing group.
Temporal Contiguity
The nearness of events in time.
Contingency
A dependency between events
Types of Contingencies
S-S (pairing)
R-S contingencies
S-R-S contingencies (or the 3-term contingency)
Basic operations
Direct observation Repeated measures Graph data Manipulation Systematic evaluation Analysis and interpretation
Consequential Operation (+)
Contingently present a stimulus immediately after the response
Consequential Operation (-)
Contingently remove a stimulus immediately after the response
Learning
A relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience.
