Discussion: Applications of Philosophical Underpinnings
Discussion: Applications of Philosophical Underpinnings
Photo Credit: Sensay – stock.adobe.com
Have you ever wondered why it is relevant to understand the theory and philosophy that underpins the field of behavior analysis? In this week’s Learning Resources, Fryling (2013) discusses some ways behavior analytic theory and philosophy are relevant to the practice of applied behavior analysis. He focuses on its unique features of having a natural science perspective as well as comprehensive, integrated components. The natural science perspective of behavior analysis requires its constructs come from observable, socially significant events, as opposed to hypothetical constructs prevalent in mentalistic, traditional psychology and other helping professions Discussion: Applications of Philosophical Underpinnings.
Comprehensive, integrated components are a feature in behavior analysis demonstrated by the coordinated interdependence between behavior analytic theory and philosophy, experimental analysis of behavior (EAB), applied behavior analysis (ABA), and delivery of behavioral services.
Attention to the systemic, natural science approach and the coordinated integration of the components of behavior analysis are what distinguish it as a unique field and underpin the rationale for behavior analytic interventions. Because a behavior analyst will typically collaborate with other professionals who adhere to hypothetical constructs that can be anti-behavioral in nature, it is especially important that they be grounded in the theory and philosophy of behavioral analysis in order to effectively represent those ways of thinking about behavior.
In his book, Radical Behaviorism for ABA Practitioners, James M. Johnston provides the following reasons ABA practitioners should understand the philosophical underpinnings of their field (Graff, 2014):
Practitioners work at the interface between science and society and, therefore, must be able to bridge the gap between scientific and everyday understandings of how behavior works Discussion: Applications of Philosophical Underpinnings.
Most people’s beliefs about how behavior works conflict with established scientific findings.
Practitioners must be able to convince clients and other professionals to support objectives and procedures shown in the ABA literature to be effective.
Understanding radical behaviorism helps ensure consistency between the field’s science and the resulting technology.
Understanding radical behaviorism helps avoid conceptual backsliding that might be encouraged by everyday language. (p. 3)
In this Discussion, you will identify an article you retrieved from the behavior analytic literature (2012 to the present) that describes an intervention to address an applied concern. For the article you select, you will then evaluate how each of the following philosophical underpinnings of behavior analysis are represented: selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, and pragmatism.
Reference:
Graff, R. B. (2014). A review of radical behaviorism for ABA practitioners by James M. Johnston [Review of the book Radical behaviorism for ABA practitioners, by J. M. Johnston]. APBA Reporter, 50, 1–3.
To Prepare
Review the Learning Resources for this week in order to gain an understanding of the following philosophical underpinnings of applied behavior analysis: selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, and pragmatism.
Identify an article retrieved from the behavior analytic literature (2012 to the present) that describes an intervention to address an applied concern.
Review the interactive media in the Learning Resources, “Philosophical Underpinnings of Behavior Analysis.”
By Day 4 of Week 6
Post the title of the article you selected and provide a brief summary of the article. Next, include your evaluation of each philosophical underpinning of behavior analysis for the article, including selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, and pragmatism. Make sure to include a reference and link to your article. Use proper APA format and style Discussion: Applications of Philosophical Underpinnings.
Read your colleagues’ postings.
Note: For this discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the To Participate in this Discussion link, then select Create Thread to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER NOW
By Day 6 of Week 6
Respond to at least two colleagues’ posts by expanding on each colleague’s explanation of how the article does or does not represent each of the philosophical underpinnings of behavior analysis. Provide examples.
Be sure to support your posts and responses with specific references to behavior-analytic theory and research. In addition to the Learning Resources, search the Walden Library and/or the internet for peer-reviewed articles to support your posts and responses. Use proper APA format and citations, including those in the Learning Resources.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights that you have gained because of your colleagues’ comments.
eterminism-ABA Practices by Wolf et al. shows a precise way that individuals do in their life; on account of medically introverted individuals, the ABA-based intercession would assist with breaking this framework and make another framework where experts do operant molding systems to bring down the recurrence of meddling conduct. It is additionally to build the recurrence of supportive of social conduct. Experts can just do the ABA-Based mediation under the determinism theory since they can decide the interceding conduct by noticing the framework that the medically introverted individual did.
Empiricism- ABA Practices of Ivar Lovaas shows how he might want for individuals with mental imbalance to recuperate from it by doing rough trials like the utilization of shock, beating, intercession force by the quantity of hours, and standard mediation. The philosophical supporting in Ivar Lovaas and the UCLA Gab is experimentation since he accepts that when he utilized electric shocks, it prevents kids from dangerous self-harmful practices. It shows observation in light of the fact that Lovaas utilized shock, beating, or extensive, conventional intercession as the free factor. The reliant variable is simply the hazardous harmful practices of mentally unbalanced youngsters, which can show a utilitarian relationship Discussion: Applications of Philosophical Underpinnings.
Parsimony-Discipline and elimination based systems show how the experts didn’t consider the incidental effects since they didn’t influence mentally unbalanced individuals that much. The philosophical supporting, miserliness, can show that experts accept that if an activity has become wiped out, the intercession is a triumph without pondering its incidental effects on youngsters.
Selectionism-The subject of changes to independence and character shows how character and conduct connect. Conduct is supposed to be brought about by characters which shows selectionism philosophical supporting. The explanation is that there is a development of conduct from being the character of an individual or youngster. The intercessions like impersonation, responsive guidelines, and sitting better are under the philosophical supporting, particular since it can show that as mentally unbalanced individuals do this conduct, they can acquire complex abilities like perusing, cooking, and adjusting checkbooks.
Pragmatism-Stimming is a significant conduct on the grounds that a grown-up mentally unbalanced individual utilized this and presently has control of his abundance feeling. Along these lines, individuals accept that stimming can assist mentally unbalanced kids with controlling their various feelings. The self-stimulatory and cliché conduct show sober mindedness on the grounds that conduct experts and others see stimming as the best mediation that could help medically introverted individuals. All things considered, they didn’t consider the general public that might manhandle this stereotypic conduct Discussion: Applications of Philosophical Underpinnings.
