SPE563_Module 2 Transcript

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Arizona State University *

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563

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Philosophy

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Feb 20, 2024

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Hello, welcome to Module 2 Philosophical Foundations of Applied Behavior Analysis. I am Dr. Sam DiGangi. In this screencast I will outline and introduce some of the key components of this module. We will be looking in particular at Behavior Analysis as a science, philosophical assumptions underlying Behavior Analysis, and behavior from the perspective of Radical Behaviorism. As we begin the readings for this module you will note that the Vocabulary and key terminology introduced in Module 1 carries over into our focus and into our subsequent discussions in this module - and next week in module 3 as we begin our team discussion activities. In this module, some key terms that we will be focusing on include pragmatism, realism, mentalism, determinism, explanatory fiction, private events and public events and natural events. SLIDE 3 (MODULE 2) KEY TERMS: - Pragmatism - Realism - Mentalism - Determinism - Explanatory Fiction - Private Event - Public Event - Natural Event In the readings and viewings in this module we continue our focus on Behavior Analysis as a science and introduced pragmatism. PRAGMATISM holds that a question is only worth pursuing if the answer to it would change our knowledge of the world. To be pragmatic is to explore answers to questions for which the answers would improve someone's circumstance. In module one we talked about social validity . Similar to social validity, in Behavior Analysis we only intervene when there is a behavior that needs to be, or that is shown to be of importance to the individual as a focus for change. SLIDE 5 (MODULE 2) SCIENCE: noun sci·ence | \ˈsī-ən(t)s Definition 1: the state of knowing : knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding
2: a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study 3: knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method 4: a system or method reconciling practical ends with scientific laws Through data collection and analysis, ALL BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS ARE “SCIENTISTS;” we seek to better understand the behaviors were clients so that we can improve their lives. SLIDE 7 (MODULE 2) DETERMINISM The assumption that the universe is a lawful orderly place in which phenomena occur in relation to other events, not in accidental fashion. There are ALWAYS causes of behavior – Cause and Effect All actions are the result of heredity or environmental factors No instance of behavior occurs without a physical cause In behavior analysis, we focus on the environmental impact on organisms , both the antecedents and the consequences. DETERMINISM HOLDS THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS CAUSES OF BEHAVIOR. All actions are the result of heredity or environmental factors - there are no instances of behavior that do not have a physical cause. That's an important component to recognize in particular in the way that we define Behaviorism and the behaviorist perspective. In Behavior Analysis we focus on environmental impact on organisms; and as we talked about in Module 1 we look at the antecedents and the consequences of behavior . SLIDE 8 (MODULE 2) REALISM The view of the world that assumes only the natural world, which presupposes an absolute truth
”… View of the world that assumes a real world to exist apart from our perceptions ” (Baum 2017, p. 288). In contrast, REALISM assumes a real world exists apart from - separate from - our perception . Behavior analysis focuses on that which we can see rather than that which we can feel. SLIDE 10 (MODULE 2) MENTALISM An assumption of an “inner” dimension as the explanation of behavior Describing behavior as having non-physical, mental cause; a ‘belief’ ”Mentalistic” - any assumption of inner cause of behavior; inner causes which cannot be confirmed, observed or measured Use of mentalistic terms implies that the actual cause has been determined In contrast to a Behaviorist perspective , MENTALISM is the assumption of an inner dimension as an explanation for Behavior; describing Behavior as having a non-physical, a mental cause, a belief... Mentalistic refers to any assumption of an inner cause of behavior, something that we cannot observe or measure or confirm. The use of mentalistic terms implies that the actual cause has been determined. Which is fallacious because we of course cannot confirm, verify, measure or observe these assumed or hypothesized causes. As we will examine in our readings in this module and in our discussion in module 3, Mentalistic causes, hypotheses, assumptions, explanations of behavior are very common in everyday discussion and in common language . We will look closely at the risk of using MENTALISTIC terminology and phrases in our professional communication.
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