Talk the Task List (5th ed.)

  • A-1 Identify goals as behavior analysis as a science:

    Applied behavior analysis (ABA): The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for the improvement in behavior. (Cooper, Heron & Heward, 2019).

  • A-2 Explain the philosophical assumptions underlying the science of behavior analysis:

    Selectionism, Determinism, Empiricism, Parsimony and Pragmatism.

    Selectionism refers to the scientific belief that organisms evolve based on consequences.

    Determinism refers to the scientific belief that the world is a lawful and orderly place.

    Empiricism refers to the scientific belief that knowledge is built on the act of observation and measurement.

    Parsimony refers to the scientific belief of relying on the simplest theory before considering more complex explanations.

    Pragmatism is the scientific approach to having a practical approach to problematic situations.

  • A-3 Explain and describe behavior from the perspective of radical behaviorism:

    In 1938, Skinner developed Radical Behaviorism. It included private events into an understanding of behavior. This was a very new philosophy which was considered radical at the time.

  • A-4 Distinguish among behaviorism, the experimental analysis of behavior, applied behavior analysis and professional practice guided by the science of behavior analysis:

    The philosophy of the science of behavior. It emphasizes objective methods of investigation and is rooted in the assumption that behavior results from interactions between the environment and individual variables.

    Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB) is the scientific study of behavior to study behavior.

    Applied Behavior Analysis is the scientific approach for discovering environmental variables that reliably influence socially significant behavior.

    Professional Practice Guided by the Science of Behavior Analysis refers to the various people who work in different fields who implement behavior-analytic practices.

  • A-5 Describe and define the dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis:

    Generality, Effective, Technological, Applied, Conceptually Systematic, Analytic, & Behavioral.

    Generality refers to behavior change occurring across time, people and settings.

    Effective refers to the improvement of the target behaviors due to the effect of an intervention.

    Technological refers to writing behavior plans precisely so that they can be repeatable.

    Applied refers to choosing interventions that are socially significant

    Conceptually systematic means that all behavior analytic interventions should be tied to the principles of ABA—reinforcement, extinction and punishment.

    Analytic refers to the functional relationship between and IV and DV. This demonstrates that a reliable change has occurred due to the influence of the IV.

    Behavioral refers to targeting behaviors in need of improvement and observing and measuring those behaviors to plan for behavior-change considerations