Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is ABA?
ABA is a scientific approach for discovering environmental variables that reliably influence socially significant behavior and for developing a technology of behavior change that takes practical advantage of these discoveries.
What is science?
Science is a systematic approach for seeking and organizing knowledge about the natural world.
What is the goal of science (ABA)?
The overall goal is to achieve a thorough understanding of socially important behavior change.
What is prediction?
Prediction occurs when repeated observations reveal that two events covary with each other, i.e., in the presence of one event, another event occurs with some specified probability.
What is correlation?
When systematic covariation between two events is found (correlation), this relationship can be used to predict the relative probability that one event will occur in the presence of the other.
What is control?
By arranging conditions in ways specified by laws of a system, we not only predict, we control: we cause an event to occur or to assume certain characteristics.
When does a functional relation exist?
A functional relation exists when a well controlled experiment demonstrates that a specific change in one event (dependent variable) is reliably produced by specific manipulations of another event (independent variable), and that change in the dependent variable was unlikely to be the result of other extraneous factors (confounding variables).
What is determinism?
A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis is that the world is an orderly, predictable, and lawful place where all events occur as a product of cause and effect.
What is empiricism?
A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that knowledge is built on objective observation and measurement (data).
What is parsimony?
A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that the simplest theory requiring the fewest assumptions must be ruled out before considering more complex explanations.
What is pragmatism?
A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that focuses on practical solutions (e.g., if it works, don’t fix it), which at the level of behavior, involves the relation between the setting (A) and the behavior (B) is because of the consequence (C).
What is selectionism?
A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that anything that evolves does so because of the consequences of behavior, meaning that behaviors that result in positive consequences survive and produce more sophisticated repertoires.
Hint: The behavioral choices we make in life determine our outcomes. Better choices mean a better chance of survival.
What is experimentation?
A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that a controlled comparison of the dependent variable under two or more conditions (independent variables) is required to assess if one event caused another.
What is replication?
A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that experiments should be repeated to determine the reliability and usefulness of their findings and to discover and correct mistakes.
What is philosophical doubt?
A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that the truth should always be questioned with healthy skepticism, which means viewing the results of studies and clinical work with a critical eye.
