1.a. Flashcards
(19 cards)
Movement of an organism or its parts in a frame of reference provided by the organism or by various external objects or a field.
That portion of the organisms interaction with the environment that is characterized by detectable displacement in space through time of some part of the organism and that results in a measurable change in at least one aspect of the environment”. J & P
The interaction of the muscles, glands, or other parts of a live organism with the environment
Behavior
- Is a biological phenomenon
- Involves movement (actions)
- Can only be done by a living organism
- Can be observed
- Is measurable
- Involves interaction with the environment
Critical attributes of behavior
Only biological organisms engage in behavior ie, Behavior has a biological basis
Behavior has an evolutionary basis.
Interacting with the environment always involves biological processes.
- Mediated by the nervous system
- Involves receptors etc.
Critical attribute of behavior #1 Behavior is a biological phenomenon
Behavior involves movement of muscles, glands, and other body parts
Even thinking involves movements. When we think in words movements of our vocal cords can be observed With special instruments, synapses fire when we think etc.
Critical attribute of behavior #2: behavior involves movement
An organism if it is a single individual such as a person, a rat, a dog, a pigeon
Not organisms: a group or organization, a construct like investments, capital gains, mutual funds
Can specify the Actual organism and type of organism
Critical attribute of behavior #3: involves only a living organism
At a minimum, the individual doing the behaving can detect its occurrence.
If two or more people observe, they must agree that X occurred.
Some observations require special instrumentsIf only the behaver can observe then it must pastor what am I doing test
Critical attribute Of behavior #4: behavior is observable
Behavior can be counted
It’s duration can be timed
Other dimensional quantities can be measured
Critical attribute of behavior #5: behavior is measurable
Behavior never occurs in a vacuum
The environment affects behavior
Behavior affects the environment
It is a reciprocal process
Medical attribute of behavior #6: interaction with the environment
- What am I doing test
2. The dead person’s test
Two tests to determine if phenomenon is a behavior
Must be a specific action
Must be measurable usually accountable
The first test: what am I doing
If a dead person CAN do it it is NOT behavior
Behavior must be an action. Look for action verbs
What you were doing is NOT states of BEING
Ex, I am frustrated by the writing assignment
Dead Person’s test
Behavior that can be observed by others even though special instrumentation might be required at times
Ex. Closing a door, asking someone to close a door, chewing ones fingernails, Salivating, swallowing, urinating, closing ones urethra
Public behavior
Also known as private events
Behavior that cannot be observed by others.
Only accessible to the organism who is engaging in the private event.
The term private event is brighter as it includes private behavior and private environmental events
Ex, Sensed conditions of the body, Feelings, imagining, thinking, and problem-solving
They are behavior, NOT explanations of behavior.
Private behavior
Is thinking behavior? I.e., what am I doing? Thinking
Are expecting, processing, and knowing behavior? I.e., what am I doing? Expecting, processing, knowing
These cannot be counted
Private events versus mentalism’s
A specific incidents of behavior
The technical term in our discipline
Not to be confused with the every day meaning of… as a reaction
Some suggest replacing the term with action
Response
Lever pressing is the behavior. Each time the rat presses the bar is one….
Walking is the behavior. Each step one takes is a…
Getting a soda is the behavior. There are many individual… Each time one gets a soda.
Response
Refers to the beginning, middle, and end of a response
Some responses or a discreet and that they have a clear start and end.
Their response cycles are easily delineated.
Not always necessary to specify…
Response cycle
Holding one’s breath underwater
Screaming
Sucking one’s thumb
Face slapping behavior
Example of a response cycle
Behavior referrals to more than one occurrence of Specific behavior, multiple responses.
When would not say, three bar pressing behaviors or four face slap and behaviors.
If ringing the bell is the behavior, it is incorrect to say he engaged in 25 bell ringing behaviors. It is correct to say he engaged in bell ringing behavior or he rang the bell 25 times.
If headbutting is the behavior it is incorrect to say he engaged and 50 headbutting behaviors. It is correct to say he engage and headbutting behavior or he had but it 50 times
Should not be used in plural form
Behavior as a collective term
