ABA Exam CoachLessons · A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations
A.2 · The philosophy behind behavior analysis
Why do behavior analysts insist that a meltdown "out of nowhere" still has a cause? It comes down to a few working assumptions, and once you can name them, a lot of the science starts to make sense.
Key takeaway
Tie each assumption to one phrase. Determinism means behavior is lawful and has causes. Empiricism means objective observation and data. Parsimony means testing the simplest explanation first. Pragmatism means an explanation is judged by whether it helps us predict and change behavior. Selectionism means consequences select behavior at three levels: phylogenic, ontogenic, and cultural. Philosophic doubt means every finding stays open to revision.
Tie each assumption to one phrase. Determinism means behavior is lawful and has causes. Empiricism means objective observation and data. Parsimony means testing the simplest explanation first. Pragmatism means an explanation is judged by whether it helps us predict and change behavior. Selectionism means consequences select behavior at three levels: phylogenic, ontogenic, and cultural. Philosophic doubt means every finding stays open to revision.
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The video walks through the idea, worked examples, the trap people fall into and an exam-style question. The notes and the checkpoint come with it, and your results feed your Where to focus plan.