Unit 2 SAFMEDS Flashcards
Science
a systematic approach for seeking and organizing knowledge about the natural world
Goals of science
prediction, control, and development of technology
Natural science
empirical phenomena; direct observation and measurement; manipulate independent variables
Types of natural science
physics, chemistry, biology, behavior analysis
Social science
hypothetical constructs outside of the natural realm; indirect observation and measurement; inferential statistics
Types of social science
psychology, sociology, political science
Philosophical assumptions of behavior analysis
determinism, empiricism, parsimony, philosophical doubt, pragmatism
Determinism
the universe is a lawful and orderly place
Lawfulness of behavior
All behavior is determined by the genetic makeup of an organism, its history and its current situation
Empiricism
objective observation with thorough description and quantification of the phenomena of interest, behavior
Experimentation and Replication
2 elements of empiricism
Experimentation
systematic manipulation of an independent variable
Replication
repeating any part of an experiment
Parsimony
requires that all simple, logical explanations for the phenomena of interest be ruled out experimentally before more complex or abstract explanations are considered
Philosophical Doubt
continually question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact
Pragmatism
assesses the truth of theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application
Behaviorism
the philosophy or world view underlying behavior analysis. posits that behavior is the subject matter of our science.
Radical behaviorism
B.F. Skinner’s philosophy of the science of human behavior and the most influential type of behaviorism for guiding the science and practice of behavior analysis
Determinants of behavior
causes of behavior: inherited biological factors, organism’s experiential history and current environment
Selection
the process in which repeated cycles of variation, interaction with the environment, and differential replication as a function of the interaction
Natural, Operant and Cultural
3 types of selection by consequences
Natural selection
the environment selects which variations survive and are passed on
Operant selection
selection at the individual level; behavioral variability
Cultural selection
cultural practices evolve as they contribute to the success of the practicing group and are passed on through generations
Temporal contiguity
the nearness of events in time
Contingency
a dependency between events
Types of contingencies
S-S contingencies (pairing)
R-S contingencies
S-R-S contingencies (the 3-term contingency)
Basic operations
Direct observation, Repeated measures, Graph data, Manipulation, Systematic evaluation, Analysis and interpretation
Direct observation
use our ears, eyes, and other senses to directly observe behavior, environmental events and the real-life context
Repeated measures
Collecting data multiple times before intervention, multiple times after each intervention, and multiple times during any other phase of the study
Graph data
different types of graphs to chart repeated measures on an ongoing basis
Manipulation
altering antecedents and consequences in the environment
Systematic evaluation
using single-case designs to control for extraneous variables and each participant serves as his own control
Analysis and Interpretation
using single case designs and graphed data to make statements about functional relations between behavior and environmental events
Consequential Operation (+)
contingently present a stimulus immediately after the response
Consequential Operation (-)
contingently remove a stimulus immediately after the response
Learning
a relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience
Learning with and without words
words can facilitate learning or can interfere with learning
