BEHV 5610 Terminology
confounding variable - ANS-an uncontrolled factor known or suspected to exert
influence on the dependent variable
contingency-shaped behavior - ANS-behavior selected, maintained, or controlled by
temporally close consequences; behavior acquired by direct experience with
contingencies
control - ANS-the highest level of scientific understanding that allows you to predict with
certainty when one event will occur and reliably produce it
correlation - ANS-systematic covariation between two events
covert - ANS-the type of behavior that cannot be observed by others
deductive - ANS-characterizes practices which propose a theory and then test that
theory against other empirical findings
dependent variable - ANS-the variable in the experiment that is measured to determine
if it changes as a result of manipulations of the independent variable
description - ANS-collecting facts about observed events for quantification,
classification, and comparison with other knowledge
determinism - ANS-the presumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in
which all phenomena occur as the result of other events; philosophical assumption that
behavior is determined by hereditary and environmental factors
dualism - ANS-the belief that mind and body are of separate physical worlds; the
philosophical position that a person is made up of physical and mental systems and
behavior originates within the mental system
epistemology - ANS-theory of knowledge and scientific methods
experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) - ANS-basic research into principles of
behavior
,functional relations - ANS-exists when a well-controlled experiment reveals that a
specific change in one event can reliably be produced by specific manipulations of
another event, and that change was unlikely to be the result of other extraneous
variables
independent variable - ANS-the variable that is systematically manipulated by the
researcher in an experiment to see whether it has a reliable effect on the dependent
variable
inductive - ANS-the practice of obtaining data and then deriving general principles or
functional relations between events from that data
lawful/lawfulness - ANS-the assumption that natural phenomena are orderly,
determined, and can be studied and discovered using appropriate methods
locus of control - ANS-the variables which influence or cause behavior
materialism - ANS-the assertion that the world is composed of physical or material
things, varying in their states and relations, and nothing else
mentalism - ANS-an approach to the study of behavior which assumes that a mental or
"inner" dimension exists that differs from a behavioral dimension; the assumption that
behavior occurs because of cognitive, mental, or hypothetical events
ontogeny - ANS-history of the development of an organism during its lifetime
operant - ANS-behavior that is selected, maintained, and brought under stimulus control
as a function of its consequences
overt - ANS-the type of behavior that is observable to others
phylogeny - ANS-history of the natural evolution of the species
prediction - ANS-- using information from repeated observations to suppose that two
events are correlated and the presence of one is indicative of the other being likely to
occur
- a statement of the anticipated outcome of a presently unknown or future measurement
private events - ANS-behavior that takes place within the skin and is distinguished from
other behavior only by its inaccessibility
,pseudoscience - ANS-a practice which is characterized by claims purportedly supported
by well-established scientific evidence when, in truth, such evidence is misinterpreted,
misunderstood, or wholly lacking
replication - ANS-(a) repeating conditions within an experiment to determine the
reliability of effects and increase internal validity or (b) repeating whole experiments to
determine the generality of findings of previous experiments to other subjects, settings,
and/or behaviors
respondent - ANS-the response component of a reflex; behavior that is elicited or
induced by antecedent stimuli
rule-governed behavior - ANS-- behavior controlled by a verbal statement of an
antecedent-behavior-consequence contingency
- behavior controlled by a rule; enables human behavior to come under the indirect
control of temporally remote or improbable, but potentially significant consequences
science - ANS-- a systematic approach to the understanding of natural phenomena, as
evidenced by description, prediction, and control that relies on determinism, empiricism,
replication, parsimony and philosophic doubt
- the practice of analyzing contingencies of reinforcement found in nature and
formulating rules or laws which make it unnecessary to be exposed to them in order to
behave appropriately
socially-important behaviors - ANS-behaviors that are relevant and meaningful to
society or the population with which you are working
validity - ANS-- accurate and scientifically supported
- the extent to which data obtained from measurement are directly relevant to the target
behavior of interest and to the reason(s) for measuring it
accidentalism - ANS-the philosophical position that holds that events occur by accident
or without cause
direct observation - ANS-involves capturing the characteristics of the organism's
behavior in real time rather than using some indirect measure
empiricism - ANS-the attitude of science which requires the objective observation of the
phenomena of interest
, experimentation - ANS-the basic strategy of science in which the factor(s) suspected of
having causal status are systematically controlled and manipulated while the effects on
the event under study are carefully observed
fatalism - ANS-the doctrine that things events are caused by variables that individuals
have no control over
free will - ANS-describes the philosophical assumption that everyone has the ability to
make their own decisions about what they will or will not do regardless of any outside
influence
mechanistic - ANS-characteristic of an approach to behavior that is rigid, static, and
unidirectional
objectivity - ANS-meaning independent of the individual prejudices, tastes, and private
opinions of the scientist
parsimony - ANS-the practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations, experimentally
or conceptually, before considering more complex or abstract explanations
philosophical doubt - ANS-an attitude that the truthfulness and validity of all scientific
theory and knowledge should be continually questioned
reciprocity - ANS-that which describes a dynamic, ongoing relationship between two or
more people
selectionism - ANS-- a general approach to understanding complex human phenomena
as products of relatively simple processes acting over time
- a theory that all forms of life naturally and continually evolve as a result of the
interaction between function and the survival value of that function
skepticism - ANS-involves critically considering all of the evidence in support of a claim
to evaluate its accuracy
antecedent stimulus - ANS-some environmental event that exists or occurs prior to the
behavior of interest
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - ANS-the science in which tactics derived from the
principles of behavior are systematically applied to improve socially significant behavior
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