– Behavior analysis is the natural science of behavior. It studies the behavior of organisms (human and non human) by applying the scientific method. Thi science is interested in understanding behavior and contributing to the improvement of society.
The scientific method is used by physics, chemistry, biology and other natural sciences to study their subject matter.
Determinism. Behavior analysis assumes that behavior is lawful and determined. Determinism is not predestination, fatalism or pessimism. A deterministic view of behavior says that behavior is lawful and orderly. All behavior -human action- occurs as the result of other events – as a product of interaction with events. On the contrary, predestination and pesimism state that what is going to happen will happen despite what we do. There is no way of changing it. For those who think in this way, behavior is unmodifiable.
Determinism does not say that we are slaves of the circumstances. We change them and they change us. Our behavior and the environment are in constant interaction. The relationship between them is reciprocal, bidirectional.
The universe is not governed by accidentalism, events do not occur by accident, without cause.
– Applied Behavior Analysis. Is the application of the science of behavior to the solution and prevention of problems of social importance.
– The philosophy of the science behavior analysis is Radical behaviorism.
There are several types of behaviorisms.
Methodological Behaviorism : Rejects all events which can not be objectively defined. It accepts the existence of mental events but does not consider them as subject matter for the science of behavior.
Cognitive Behaviorism : Considers cognitions (private events) as causal factors of behavior.
Radical Behaviorism : Events observed only by one person can be scientifically studied. Private events such as thinking and feeling exist although they can be observed only by one person. They can be studied by the science of behavior. People do not just do and say things, they also think, feel, imagine, etc. See Radical Behaviorism.
Behavior Analysis is not a stimulus-response psychology. See Misunderstandings about Behavior Analysis.
B. F . Skinner was the founder of Behavior Analysis. See B.F. Skinner
Walden Two novel.
In 1948, Skinner published his novel Walden Two, a fictional society which takes into account the science behavior analysis (behaviorism and principles of behavior) in its design. See Walden Two.
Behaviorology
In 1974, Los Horcones coined the term “behaviorology” to name Behavior Analysis. Behaviorology enphasizes the inclusion of cultural behavior as another study object of behavior analysis. See Behaviorology
Questions and comments to: walden2@loshorcones.org.mx