Philosophical Underpinnings: The Easy Stuff

Question 1

What is ABA?

Answer 1

ABA is a science based on the use of learning principles to improve socially important behavior. ABA practice focuses on assessing the environmental influences on behavior, assessment-based interventions, and data based decision making.

Question 2

What is science?

Answer 2

An organized approach for collecting knowledge and understanding about the natural world

Question 3

What is the purpose of science?

Answer 3

Find truth in nature, understand the subject that is being studied, provides us with the 3 levels of understanding

Question 4

What is the first level of scientific understanding?

Answer 4

Description

Question 5

Facts that are derived form systematically observed events is…

Answer 5

Description

Question 6

Facts that can be quantified and classified to help us test for possible relationships is…

Answer 6

Description

Question 7

Facts that help us identify a hypothesis for further exploration

Answer 7

Description

Question 8

What is the second level of scientific understanding

Answer 8

Prediction

Question 9

When repeat observations show that there is a consistent relationship between the occurrence of 2 events (covariation/correlation) is….

Answer 9

Prediction

Question 10

This relationship can be used to predict the probability of 1 event occurring when the other event occurs

Answer 10

Prediction

Question 11

T/F: Science asks us to hypothesize and make predictions/scientific guesses, but prediction does not equal cause.

Answer 11

True, 2 events regularly occurring at the same time does not necessarily mean 1 causes the other. (Example, during winter season people get more colds)

Question 12

What is the first level of scientific understanding?

Answer 12

Control

Question 13

What is the highest level of scientific understanding?

Answer 13

Control

Question 14

A functional relation is established when science confirms what has been predicted: an experimental demonstration that manipulating 1 event (IV) results in a change in another event (DV) and this change can only be attributable to the IV

Answer 14

Control

Question 15

Example of Control

Answer 15

Headaches are remedied by pain medicine

Question 16

What is Determinism?

Answer 16

The world is an orderly, predictable, and lawful place, where everything is cause and effect: if/then conditions

Question 17

The assumption that everything happens because of other events

Answer 17

Determinism

Question 18

What is Empiricism?

Answer 18

Upon what knowledge is built

Question 19

The act of objective observation and measurement

Answer 19

Empiricism

Question 20

Experimental, data based scientific approach

Answer 20

Empiricism

Question 21

What is parsimony?

Answer 21

Reliance on the simplest theory requiring the fewest assumptions

Question 22

Before considering more complex explanations, you must first rule out simple and logical explanations

Answer 22

Parsimony

Question 23

What is prgmatism?

Answer 23

Practical approach to problems in which truth is found in the process of verification

Question 24

A philosophy that asks how things come to be as they are and how can we alter things

Answer 24

Pragmatism

Question 25

Who is associated with Pragmatism?

Answer 25

Charles S. Peirce and William James

Question 26

What is selectionism?

Answer 26

Selection by consequences

Question 27

The scientific belief that anything that evolves does so due to the consequences of behavior

Answer 27

Selectionism

Question 28

Behaviors that result in positive consequences survive and produce more sophisticated repertoires

Answer 28

Selectionism

Question 29

What is experimentation?

Answer 29

Basic strategy of most sciences, controlled comparison of the DV under 2 or more conditions (IVs)

Question 30

Requires manipulating variables so as to see the effects on the DV

Answer 30

Experimentation

Question 31

Requires that all variables be controlled except the DV: Functional Relation

Answer 31

Experimentation

Question 32

What is replication?

Answer 32

Repeating experiments

Question 33

Experiments should be repeated to determine the reliability and usefulness of their findings

Answer 33

Replication

Question 34

Repetition leads to discovering mistakes, making science as self correcting operation

Answer 34

Replication

Question 35

What is philosophical doubt?

Answer 35

Questioning the truth

Question 36

Having healthy skepticism / a critical eye about the results of studies/work with clients, being open to being wrong

Answer 36

Philosophical Doubt

Question 37

Target the behavior in need of improvement

Answer 37

Behavioral

Question 38

Behavior must be measurable, including any use of language that behavioral (not a description of feelings)

Answer 38

Behavioral

Question 39

Must ask whose behavior has changed (subject or observers?)

Answer 39

Behavioral

Question 40

What is applied?

Answer 40

Improving individual's everyday lives

Question 41

Improves socially significant behaviors in real world settings (social language, driving skills, self care, leisure skills)

Answer 41

Applied

Question 42

What is technological?

Answer 42

Direct and precisely replicable procedures

Question 43

ABA requires that procedures are defined clearly and in detail so they are replicable and have a shot of generating the same results

Answer 43

Technological

Question 44

What is Conceptually Systematic

Answer 44

ABA is not a collection of tricks

Question 45

All ABA procedures used should be derived from the basic principles of behavior analysis (punishment, reinforcement, extinction)

Answer 45

Conceptually Systematic

Question 46

What is analytic?

Answer 46

ABA requires that a functional relationship is hsown

Question 47

A functional relationship is demonstrated when the manipulated events (IV) produce a reliable change in any measurable dimension of the targeted behavior and an experimenter can control the occurrence and non occurrence of the the target behavior

Answer 47

Analytic

Question 48

The main issue is believability: Is there enough experimental control to prove a reliable functional relation?

Answer 48

Analytic

Question 49

Any behavior change that persists across time, across settings, across other behaviors, and across people (differing from intervention conditions)

Answer 49

Generality

Question 50

What is effective?

Answer 50

Practical Improvement

Question 51

ABA technologies should improve behaviors enough that it makes a socially significant difference in the person's life

Answer 51

Effective

Question 52

Also known as imaginary construct

Answer 52

Hypothetical Construct

Question 53

A presumed but unobserved process

Answer 53

Hypothetical Construct

Question 54

What are examples of Hypothetical Construct?

Answer 54

Free will, determination, self-esteem, ego-strength, readiness, intelligence

Question 55

A mythical explanation for a behavior that is another name of the observed behavior

Answer 55

Explanatory Fiction

Question 56

Does not add to our understanding of what causes or maintains behavior

Answer 56

Explanatory Fiction

Question 57

Examples of explanatory fiction

Answer 57

Knowing, wanting, figuring out, understanding

Question 58

Key ingredient in mentalistic thinking. What came first? The chicken or the egg?

Answer 58

Circular Reasoning

Question 59

What is the cause and effect in circular reasoning?

Answer 59

Cause and effect are both inferred from the same info. Ex: Jimmy cried because he felt sad (the sad feeling and crying are both inferred from the same depressive conditions)

Question 60

What is behaivorism?

Answer 60

Environmental and not mentalistic explanation of behavior

Question 61

The philosophy of the science of behavior

Answer 61

Behaviorism

Question 62

Examines the philosophical, theoretical, historical, and methodological issues within the science of behavior

Answer 62

Behaviorism

Question 63

Research on basic processes and principles and conducted mainly in laboratories

Answer 63

Experimental Analysis of Behavior

Question 64

Creates behavior change tactics that can increase behavior, teach, and maintain behavior

Answer 64

ABA

Question 65

Makes behavior sensitive to environmental events, generalize behavior, and reduce challenging behavior

Answer 65

ABA

Question 66

Refers to many individual in various fields of work implementing ABA procedures withing their professions

Answer 66

Professional Practice Guide by the Science of Behavior Analysis