Section A Flashcards
A statement of the anticipated outcome of a presently unknown or future measurement; one of three components of the experimental reasoning, or baseline logic, used in single-subject research designs.
Prediction
The assumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which phenomena occur in relation to other events and not in a Willy-nilly, accidental fashion.
Determinism
A theory that all forms of life naturally and continually evolve as a result of the interaction between function and the survival value of that function. Operant selection by consequences in the conceptual and empirical foundation of behavior analysis.
Selectionism
The objective observation of the phenomena of interest; objective observations are “independent of the individual prejudices, tastes, and private opinions of the scientist….Results are objective in that they are open to anyone’s observations and do not depend on the subjective belief of the individual scientist”
Empiricism
A carefully controlled comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest (dependent variable) under two or more different conditions in which only one factor at a time (the independent variable) differs from one condition to another.
Experiment
Repeating conditions within an experiment to determine the reliability of effects and increase internal validity.
Repeating whole experiments to determine the generality of findings of previous experiments to other subjects, settings, and/or behaviors.
Replication
The practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations, experimentally or conceptually, before considering more complex or abstract explanations.
Parsimony
An attitude that the truthfulness and validity of all scientific theory and knowledge should be continually questioned.
Philosophic doubt
A philosophical position asserting that the truth value of a statement is determined by how well it promotes effective action; pragmatism is a primary criterion by which behavior analysts judge the value of their findings.
Pragmatism
A form of behaviorism that attempts to understand all human behavior, including private events such as thoughts and feelings, in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person (ontogeny) and the species (phylogeny).
Radical behaviorism
The philosophy of a science of behavior; there are various forms of behaviorism.
Behaviorism.
A natural science approach to the study of behavior as a subject matter in its own right founded by B.F Skinner; methodological features include rate of response as a basic dependent variable, repeated or continuous measurement of clearly defined response classes, within-subject experimental comparison instead of group design, visual analysis of graphed data instead of statistical inference, and an emphasis on describing functional relations between behavior and controlling variables in the environment over formal theory testing.
Experimental analysis of behavior (EAB)
The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsibilities for the improvement in behavior.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Applied, behavioral, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective, generality.
7 dimensions of behavior
Signals ABAs commitment to effecting improvements in behaviors that enhance and improve people’s lives.
Applied
Must be observable and measurable so that it can be studied for proof of improvement or lack of improvement.
Behavioral
Experimenter has demonstrated a functional relation between the manipulated events and a reliable change in some measurable dimension of the targeted behavior.
Analytic
Operant procedures are identified and described with sufficient detail and clarity. A reader is able to replicate and procedure with the same results.
Technological
Interventions are consistent with the principles demonstrated in the literature and research.
Conceptually systematic
Interventions are effective when they improve a behavior in a practical matter. If the application of behavioral techniques does not produce large enough effects for practical value, then the application has failed. An intervention is effective when it changes the behavior it seeks to change.
Effective
Last over time, appears in environments other than the one in which the intervention that initially produced it was implemented, and/or spreads to other behaviors not direct, treated by the intervention.
Generality
Written guidelines or rules that provide direction for conducting the practices associated with an organized profession.
Professional practice guided by the science of behavioral analysis
