Unit 1 Flashcards
Two types of behavior: _____
Public and private
Response class: _____
Responses with different topographies but same effect on environment
Behavior: The interaction between _____
Living organism’s actions and the environment
Stimulus: _____
Environmental change affecting the organism through its receptors
- If there is no stim change it is not stim
Response: _____
Single instance of behavior
Private behavior: _____
Behavior only observable by the organism engaging in it
Public behavior: _____
Behavior that can be observed by others
Behaver: _____
Organism whose behavior is being observed
Description, prediction, & control: _____
Goals of science
Duration: _____
Measure of time between the beginning and end of a response
Learning is a: _____
Relatively permanent change in behavior
Behavior analysis studies: _____
Effects of environmental variables on behavior
Behavior analysis is a: _____
Natural science
Environment: _____
Events, stimuli, and conditions that can affect behavior
Function: _____
Effect of a response on the environment
Public environmental events are: _____
Observable by others
Science is a systematic approach to: _____
Understanding natural phenomena
Rate: _____
Number of responses over a period of time
Learning occurs through: _____
Experience
Topography: _____
Physical nature of the response
Private environmental events are: _____
- Only observable by the organism itself
- Physical, not mental
Basic Assumptions/Attitudes of Science
- Parsimony
- Philosophic doubt
- Determinism
- Empiricism
- Experimentation
- Replication
Parsimony
Requires that all simple , logical explanations for the phenomenon under investigation be ruled out, experimentally or conceptually, before more complex or abstract explanations are considered.
- Avoids explanations based on inferred causal forces (not directly observed), such as Superstitions & Traits
Philosophic Doubt
Be open to new data leading to new interpretations/explanations
- Skepticism: Look for evidence that your own findings are incorrect as well
Determinism
First lawfulness is assumed, then proceed to look for lawful relations
Experimentation
The basic strategy; manipulate something and see its effect on the phenomenon of interest
Social science
Hypothetical constructs, that are indirect observation and have irregular measurements
- Ex. Political Science, Sociology, Economics
Empiricism
The practice of objective observation and measurement of the phenomena of interest
- No subjectivity
Natural science
- Empirically observable
- Manipulating IV & DV
- Replicable
Functional analysis
- Denotes demonstrations of functional relation between environmental V and bx
- FA informs the design of effective tx
Pre-scientific & quasi-scientific explanations
Creates difficulties adopting ABA
- Pre: The stars (astrology), The spirits
- Quasi: The selves (e.g., personality)
Behavior Analysis has two appropriate uses:
- The scientific study of functional relations between behavior and environmental events
- The technological applications (Token economies)
Radical behaviorism accounts:
- Thoughts and thinking
- Feeling
- Perception
- Verbal bx
Behavior is..
Everything that an organism does
Technical definition of behavior
The interaction between an organism and its environment
Critical Attributes of Behavior
- Biological in nature
- Involves action
- Involves interaction between the organism and the environment
Biological in nature
Done by a living, individual organism… The behaver
These are NOT organisms:
A group or organization, Constructs (e.g., investments, capital gains, mutual funds), Inanimate objects (e.g., oceans)
Involves action
Involves specific action of, or some part of, the organism
- Movement of muscles and other body parts
- Glandular activity
Some physiological and neural activity
- Some physiological and neural activity
What is the environment?
- The natural realm or physical “world”.
- The things around you
- What you: See, Hear, Smell, Taste
Behavior is not
- A part of the organism
- Something that an organism possesses
- State of being
Dead Man’s Test (Mannequin Test)
- If a dead person can do it, it is not behavior
- Not doing something is not behavior
- If an activity/movement can be explained by physics or the actions of another organism, it is not behavior
“Specific Action” Test
Look for active verbs
Qs to determine if “it” is a behavior
- Who is the behaver?
- What’s the potential behavior? (Was there action/interaction with the environment?)
- Is it behavior? (What is the specific action)
Response vs. Behavior
- Remember, response is a singular incident
2. Behavior refers to the constellation of responses for an organism
Sense/Receptors
A part of the environment
- Touch, Pressure, Temperature, Pain, Itch, Vibration, Organic sense (deep sensations) Kinesthesis (muscle sense), Vestibular sense (balance)
Private environment consist of:
- The immediate physical environment or set of circumstances (situation) in which behavior occurs
- Stimulus
