Philosophical Assumtions Flashcards
A parsimonious explanation is most likely to be…
A. a theoretical description of a novel, complex perspective
B. built on an existing foundation of knowledge or laws
C. the most creative
D. an elaborated version of an exsisting conceptual model
B
Parsimony is a stingy perspective. If an idea cannot be confirmed by empirical observation, parsimony will not allow that idea to be part of an explanation of a phenomenon. This notion pertains to human behavior. A behavior analyst seeks explanations throught the physical world rather than appealing to mentalistic concepts such as the mind, or soul, or other ideas that are beyond the physical world and cannot be, or have not been, empirically validated.
Given two explanations for the same phenomena, parsimony favors the explanation that is…
A. found in the largest number of publications
B. based on the fewest assumptions
C. most complex
D. supported by the most scientists
B
Which is the most parimonious explanation? A 5yo tantrums in the candy aisle due to…
A. a history of reinforcement in the form of receiving candy
B. an emotional disturbance
C. a deep seated personality disorder
D. dysfunctional cognitions resulting from poor parenting skills
A
Which of the following is most likely to have empirical support? A. group consensus B. expert authority C. reputable newspaper report D. science fair project
D
Empiricism is the result of measurement of carefully defined phenomena and detailed description of procedures. This is typically only found in controlled experimentation.
Elements of empiricism include all of the following except… A. Behavior being thoroughly described B. Objective observation of behavior C. Behavior being quantified D. Prioritization of target behaviors
D
Empiricism calls for behavior being objectively observed, thoroughly described, and quantified
What is the most parsimonious explanation?
A. A skill acquisition problem is a function of a learning disability
B. A problem behavior is maintained by teacher attention
C. A problem behavior is maintained by teacher attention and a personality disorder
B
Determinism means that…
A. Many events have causes
B. All events have causes

B
Determinism means that events have causes. With respect to behavior, it means that it is under the control of natural events. Contrast this perspective with that a free will, which postulates that behavior occurs free of environmental and biological influences. If this were the case, behavior would not be predictable or lawful
Which is true?
A. Operant and respondent behavior controlled by conditioned stimuli results largely from one’s phylogenic history
B. Respondent behavior elicited by unconditioned stimuli results largely from one’s phylogenic history
C. Behavior resulting from one’s ontogenic history is elicited
D. Operant behavior is due largely to one’s genetics
B
Ontogenic refers to learning that results from an organisms interaction with his environment. Phylogenic refers to behavior that is inherited genetically. Generally, operant behavior is due to antigenic history and respondent behavior (elicited by unconditioned stimuli) is due to phylogenic history. We use “elicited“ to refer to behavior that is controlled exclusively by antecedent stimuli and “emitted“ to refer to behavior that is a function of antecedent and respondent stimuli (operant)
A deterministic philosophy would maintain that variability in behavioral data is evidence of…
A. Inherent freedom of choice
B. Autonomous control
C. Uncontrolled influences
C
Variability in behavioral data simply means that some events are not controlled or we don’t know the source of control - not that the variability is the evidence of free well or mysterious unknowable causes. In modern society we have a little problem attributing variability to natural causes. If a car breaks down, we correctly attribute it to a mechanical problem, governed by the laws of physics. If a tree dies, we correctly attribute it to a biological process. We do not say that the car “wanted“ to break down or that the tree “decided“ to die. Yet our culture incorrectly supports such explanations for human behavior. For example, the child “behaves well when he wants to,“ as opposed to attributing behavior to a learning history
Behavior that is the result of one’s genetic background is
A. Phylogenic
B. Ontogenic
A
Ontogenic refers to learning that results from an organisms interaction with his environment. Phylogenic refers to behavior that is inherited genetically.
Which is true? A. Ontogenic behavior is usually emitted B. Phylogenic behavior is elicited C. Operant behavior is largely ontogenic D. All of the above
D
Behavior that is a result of interactions with the environment during the individual‘s lifetime is…
A. Phylogenic
B. Ontogenic
B
