Unit 1 terms Flashcards
Applied Behavior Analysis
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 variables responsible for the improvement of behavior
Behavior
The activity of living organisms, or what a person does and says
Behaviorism
The philosophy of a science of behavior
Controlling variable
The environmental events (antecedents and consequences) that influence the probability of a particular behavior
Covert Behavior
Behavior that is not observable to others
Determinism
The assumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which phenomena occur in relation to other events and not in a willy-nilly, accidental fashion.
Discriminated operant
An operant that occurs more frequently under some antecedent conditions than others.
Empiricism
The objective observation of the phenomena of interest
Environment
The conglomerate of real circumstances in which the organism of referred part of an organism exists.
Environmental variables
Variables that are relevant to describing the stimulus environment. These can include people and items present.
Experiment
A carefully controlled comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest under two or more different conditions in which only one factor at a time differs from one condition to another.
Experimental analysis of behavior
A natural science approach to the study of behavior as a subject matter in its own right founded by B.F. Skinner. Its methodological features include rate of response as a basic dependent variable, repeated or continuous measurement of clearly defined response classes, within-subject experimental comparisons instead of group design visual analysis of graphed data instead of statistical inference, and an emphasis on describing functional relations between behavior and controlling variables in the environment over formal theory testing.
Explanatory fiction
A hypothetical variable that often takes the form of another name for the observed phenomenon it claims to explain and contributes nothing to a functional account or understanding of the phenomenon.
Hypothetical construct
A presumed but unobserved process or entity.
Mentalism
An approach to explaining behavior that assumes that an “inner” dimension exists that differs from a behavioral dimension, and that phenomenon in this dimension either directly cause or at least mediate some forms of behavior.
Methodological behaviorism
A philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the realm of science.
Ontogeny
The history of the development of an individual during its lifetime.
Operant conditioning
Occurs when a behavior in a particular situation is followed by a reinforcing consequence, thus making the behavior more likely to occur in similar circumstances in the future.
Parsimony
The practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations, experimentally or conceptually, before considering more complex or abstract explanations.
Philosophical doubt
An attitude that the truthfulness or validity of all scientific theory and knowledge should be continually questioned.
Phylogeny
The history of the natural evolution of a species.
Pragmatism
Inductive reasoning that draws general rules based on specific observation. It is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations and seems to often go hand in hand with behaviorism.
Prediction
A statement of the anticipated outcome of a presently unknown or future measurement.
Radical behaviorism
A thoroughgoing form of behaviorism that attempts to understand all human behavior-including private events such as thoughts and feelings- in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person and species.
