Part A- Philosophical Underpinnings
A-1: Goals of Behaviour Analysis as a Science
Science: A systematic approach for seeking and organizing knowledge about the world. It seeks to discover nature’s truth.
There are three parts of science: description, prediction, and control.
I find that it’s hard for me to remember so many terms, so I simplify them for myself.
Description- I think about description as just stating the facts, which are quantifiable and classifiable, otherwise they wouldn’t be facts.
Example: I have 2 cups of coffee during each of my study sessions.
I used to get confused between control and prediction, how I differentiate between the two are by:
Prediction- There have been multiple observations of two events occurring around the same time as each other.
Example: I have observed, during 8 sessions, that my learner engages in verbal protests when she is asked to use the bathroom.
Control- There was a functional relationship and typically an experimental design is used.
Example: I used a multiple baseline design to identify if, in the centre, a learner engages in higher rates of challenging behaviours while using PECS with mediators vs. staff.
Functional Relationship: When a well-controlled experiment displays that a specific change in one event (DV) can be reliably produced by a specific manipulation in an environmental event (IV).
Example: A BACB applicant increases their behaviour of studying for the exam (DV) when reinforcement is provided in the form of access to preferred tangible- wine (IV).
A-2: Attitudes and Assumptions of Science
Selectionism- Every living thing evolves by interacting with its surrounding and the survival value of the responses lead to the strengthening of that behaviour.
Ontogeny: Learning is a result of interactions with the environment. This is specific to each person or organism. Learning History! I remembered this by thinking that the o in ontogeny means over life time.
Example: Money (conditioned reinforcer) is valuable.
Phylogeny: Inherited genetically. Reflexes! I remembered this by thinking that the h in phylogeny means hereditary.
Example: Sneezing reflex- you sneeze when your nose is irritated.
It was challenging to remember even more terms but I’ve tried to simplify them.
Determinism: Law & Order.
Empiricism: Think of empirical evidence, it’s factual, based on observations, and experiences.
Experimentalism: Experiment with new strategies!
Replication: If you can’t repeat it, who’s going to believe it?!
Parsimony: Keep it simple and make minimal assumptions.
Philosophic Doubt: Question everything. Don’t take things at face value, critically assess finding and results.
A:3- Behaviour from the Perspective of Radical Behaviourism
Pragmatism
A statement can only hold true, if it can be an effective practical action
Does the explanation provide useful results?
Radical Behaviourism
Radical: Defined as far-reaching, drastic, and throughgoing
Included private events, such as thoughts and feelings
Skinner was the first one to include private thoughts and public events into behaviourism, with an aim to understand ALL human behaviour
Prior clinicians (Watson + Pavlov) focused on direct observations of the relationships between environmental stimuli & response and respondent behaviours
Methodological Behaviourism
Denied existence of inner variables
Considered private events to be outside the realm of a scientific account
Explanatory Fiction: A circular way of viewing cause and effect (i.e., he was sad because he cried, he cried because he was sad)
does not contribute to actually understanding the phenomenon
Example: The child does not touch the hot stove because he is intelligent.
Mentalism: Approach to the study of behaviour which differs from a behavioural dimension
Uses hypothetical constructs, such as “the rat knows”
Cannot be observed or experimentally manipulated (i.e., imaginary constructs)
A-4: Brief History of Behaviour Analysis
Simplistic way of looking at our field’s history:
Behaviourism: Overarching theory and philosophy
Experimental Analysis of Behaviour: Research
Applied Behaviour Analysis: Using research in settings other than a lab, such as schools
Practice Guided by Behaviour Analysis: Implementing strategies with clients
History of ABA
S-R (Stimulus-Response) Behaviourism of WATSON
Early 1900s
Not interested in private events
Made bold claims of nurturing infants to make them doctors, lawyers, beggars, etc.,
Consists of direct observation of the relationship between environmental stimuli (S) and the response (R) it evokes
Respondent Behaviour of PAVLOV
1920s
Classical conditioning
Changing reflex behaviours
Responses are elicited by the stimulus that immediately preceded them
Example: Ringing a bell, makes the dog salivate
Operant Behaviour of SKINNER
1930s
Operant behaviours are influences by stimulus changes that have followed the behaviour in the past
3 term contingency (A-B-C or S-R-S)
Radical Behaviourism
1938
Seeks to understand ALL human behaviour (public and private)
A-5: Dimensions of Applied Behaviour Analysis
Even more terms to remember!
While completing my Master’s Degree, one of my professors taught me to remember the Dimensions of ABA by remembering the acronym, BATCAGE.
B-Behavioural- Focus on the target behaviour.
A-Applied- Socially significant behaviours.
T-Technological- Make sure a reader can copy the exact way you want the intervention to be conducted.
C-Conceptually Systematic- Basic principles of ABA, reinforcement, punishment, and extinction.
A- Analytic- Is there a functional relationship?
G-Generality- Can the individual do this in a different setting, with different staff, and under different conditions?
E-Effective- Is it socially important to focus on the specific target behaviour?
Please feel free to ask questions, leave comments, or have a discussion!
