Chapter 1 Flashcards
Behavior
An individual living organism’s activity, public or private, which may be influenced by external or internal stimulation
Stimulus events
Things you see, hear, smell, taste or feel
The first goal of behavior analysis
To accurately predict behavior
What is the utility in predicting behavior of individuals?
It allows adaptive behavior
The Second Goal of Behavior Analysis
To discover functional variables that may be used to positively influence behavior
Functional variable
A variable that, when changed, reliably and systematically influences behavior
Behavior is something that _______ living organisms do
All
_______ is defined as an individual living organism’s activity, public or _______, which may be influenced by external or _________ stimulation.
Behavior
Private
Internal
A ______ is something you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel. These events can occur outside or inside your body.
Stimulus event
Stimuli is the plural of ______.
Stimulus
One stimulus, two ______.
Stimuli
Buying a car is an instance of _____ (public/private) behavior.
Public
Changing your clothes is an instance of ______ (public/private) behavior.
Public
Thinking that you should not have bought that car because now you don’t have enough money for new clothes is an instance of ______ (public/private) behavior.
Private
The first goal of behavior analysis is to _______ _______ behavior.
Accurately predict
The second goal of behavior analysis is to discover _______ variables that may be used to _______ _______ behavior.
Functional
Positively influence
Accurately predicting behavior is important because it allows _______ behavior.
Adaptive
Two assumptions that guide behavior analysis
1) Behavior is determined
2) The scientific method is a valid way to reveal the determinants of behavior
What does it mean to say, “behavior is determined?”
Behavior has a cause or multiple causes
3 problems with the theory that a mental decision-maker Willa behavior into motion
1) Choice is a behavior.
2) Choice is determined (Functional variables influence choices we make.)
3) Spurious decision-making (spurious = false/fake)
The first assumption of behavior analysis is that behavior is _______.
Determined
When we say, “behavior is determined,” we simply mean that behavior has a _______, or multiple _______.
Cause
causes
In our daily lives, we often explain behavior (I went to the movies) by pointing to private behaviors (I thought going to the movies was a good idea). Behavior analysts refer to these as _______ explanations of behavior.
Spurious
The second assumption of behavior analysis is that the _______ _______ is a valid way to discover the determinants of behavior.
Scientific method
Characteristics of scientific method that are of most relevance to behavior analysis
Objective
Quantitative
Systematic
Empirical
Falsifiable predictions
Experimentation
Peer-review
Replication
Independent variable
A publicly observable change, controlled by the experimenter, which is anticipated to influence behavior in a specific way
Replication
Repeating the experiment and obtaining the same outcome
Within science, there are two meanings of the word _______. The first recognizes that humans are susceptible to biases that cloud how we evaluate evidence that supports and refutes our favorite theories.
Objectivity
The second meaning of the word _______ recognizes that our current understanding of behavior is tentative and will be changed in the future as new findings support an alternative viewpoint that better allows us to predict and positively influences behavior.
Objectivity
_______ evidence for a scientific finding is either directly observable or observable with the aid of an unbiased measurement device.
Empirical
When a scientist makes a prediction about behavior, the prediction is precise enough that it could be shown to be incorrect. These are referred to as _______ predictions.
Falsifiable
When scientists discover something, it is important that their research be repeated to see if the finding can be obtained again. This repetition of experiments to evaluate if they produced reliable results is called _______.
Replication
Determinants of behavior
Nature - our genetic inheritance
Nurture - events experienced during one’s lifetime
Environmental events
All of the things you experience through your senses
7 core dimensions of applied behavioral analysis
1) Applied
2) Behavioral
3) Analytic
4) Technoligical
5) Conceptual
6) Effective
7) Generality
Over 100 years of research has demonstrated that individual behavior is influenced by ______ and _______.
Nature and Nurture
Those working in the _______ analysis of behavior, most often conduct their research in laboratory settings, where nuisance variables will not get in the way of identifying determinates of behavior.
Experimental
Behavior analysts who conduct scientific research in clinical settings are called _______ behavior analysts.
Applied
Individuals who deliver behavioral services that are based on the research of laboratory and applied behavior analysts are employed in the field of behavioral _______ _______.
Service delivery
