Philosophical Foundations of ABA Flashcards
The notion that a question is only worth pursuing if the answer to it would change our knowledge of the world
Pragmatism
The view of the world that assumes only the natural world, which presupposes an absolute truth
Realism
An assumption of an “inner” dimension as the explanation of behavior
Mentalism
The assumption that the unvierse is a lawful and orderly place in which phenomena occur in relation to other events, not in accidental fashion
All actions are the result of heredity or environmental factors
Determinism
A fictitious variable, often another name for an observable behavior, which implies an inner cause for the behavior
(e.g. low self-esteem)
Explanatory Fiction
An event that can only be observed and verified by the individual performing the behavior.
Private Event
An event observed by another person
(e.g. walking across the street)
Public Event
An event that is locatable in time and space in the natural world
Natural Event
Which is an example of a behaviorist explanation of behavior?
a. Jimmy jumps up and down because he needs sensory input.
b. Carly makes bad decisions.
c. Isaac practices golf because his coach praises his progress
d. Marty feels like eating tofu
C. Isaac practices golf because his coach praises his progress
Both Isaac and his coach’s behaviors are observable.
True or False: Mentalistic explanations of behavior inform the manipulation of environmental variables to change behavior.
False
Mentalistic explanations are internal and not specfic to the environment
Which of the following is an example of a private event?
a. Jenny leaves her house and locks the door.
b. Victor drives to get his son from his baseball practice.
c. Bryan tells Bob that it is his turn to take the dog to the groomer.
d. Before leaving the house, Vanessa decides if she will drive or ride the train.
d. Before leaving the house, Vanessa decides if she will drive or ride the train.
Nobody can see which choice Vanessa decides as she hasn’t left yet
“All actions are the result of either heredity or environmental factors” describes:
Determinism
