Unit 1

Question 1

Attitudes/Philosophies of Science

Answer 1

Determinism, Empiricism, Experimentation, Replication, Parsimony, Philosophic Doubt

Question 2

Determinism

Answer 2

All scientist presume that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which all phenomena occur as the result of other events.

Question 3

Empiricism

Answer 3

The practice of objective observation and measurement of the phenomena of interest. “Independent of the individual prejudices, tastes and private opinions of the scientist.

Question 4

Experimentation

Answer 4

a 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(independent variable) differs from one condition to another.

Question 5

Replication

Answer 5

repeating of experiments as well as repeating independent variable conditions within experiments

Question 6

Parsimony

Answer 6

all simple logical explanations for the phenomenon under investigation be ruled out experimentally or conceptually before more complex or abstract explanations are considered.

Question 7

Philosophic Doubt

Answer 7

requires the scientist to continually question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact.

Question 8

Radical Behaviorism

Answer 8

a form of behaviorism that attends 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).

Question 9

Methodological Behaviorism

Answer 9

a philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the round of science.

Question 10

Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)

Answer 10

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 basis dependent variable, repeated or continuous measurement of clearly defined response glasses, within subject experimental comparisons instead of great designs, Visual analysis of graph data instead of statistical inference, and an emphasis on describing functional relations between behavior and controlling variables and environment over formal theory testing.

Question 11

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Answer 11

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 variable responsible for the improvement in behavior.

Question 12

Functional relation

Answer 12

a verbal statement summarizing the results of an experiment that describes the occurrence of the phenomenon under study as a function of the operation of one or more specified and controlled variables in the experiment in which a specific change in one event (the dependent variable) can be produced by manipulating another event (the independent variable) seeing that the change in the dependent variable was unlikely the result of other factors.

Question 13

Mentalism

Answer 13

an approach to explaining behavior that assumes that a mental, or “inner” dimension exists that differs from a behavioral dimension and that phenomenon in this dimension either directly causes or at least mediates some form of behavior, if not all.

Question 14

Explanatory fiction

Answer 14

A fictitious or hypothetical variable that often takes the form of another name for the observed phenomenon, claims to explain, and contributes nothing to a functional account for understanding of the phenomenon as explanations for behavior. i.e.

Question 15

Hypothetical construct

Answer 15

a presumed but unobserved process or entity. (For example, ego, memories, thoughts)

Question 16

7 Dimensions of Behavior

Answer 16

Applied, Behavior, Analytical, Technological, Conceptually Systematic, Generality, Effective

Question 17

Applied

Answer 17

effecting improvements in behaviors that enhance and improve people’s lives. Investigates socially significant behaviors with immediate importance to the participants.

Question 18

Behavioral

Answer 18

precise measurement of the actual behavior in need of improvement & documents that it was the participant’s behavior that changed

Question 19

Analytic

Answer 19

Demonstrates experimental control over the occurrence and non-occurrence of the behavior (a functional relation is demonstrated).

Question 20

Technological

Answer 20

Written description of all procedures in the study is sufficiently complete and detailed to enable others to replicate it, in which operative procedures are identified and described in detail & clarity

Question 21

Conceptually Systematic

Answer 21

Behavior change interventions are derived from basic principles of behavior.

Question 22

Effective

Answer 22

Improves behavior sufficiently to produce practical results for the participant(s).

Question 23

Generality

Answer 23

Produces behavior changes that last over time, appears in other environments (other than the one in which intervention was implemented), or spreads to other behaviors (those not directly treated by the intervention).

Question 24

3 Characteristics for describing behavior

Answer 24

Objectivity, Clarity, Completeness