Determinism and its Relation to Behavior

Throughout this course, many opportunities are available to post an initial response to a Discussion topic as well as to respond to your classmates’ responses. After you have completed the reading, and without reviewing your classmates’ responses, post your initial response to the following Discussion. Your post should be at least 300 words in length and should extend the discussion of the group supported by your course materials and/or other appropriate resources. After you have submitted your initial post, review some of your classmates’ posts and respond to at least two of your classmates. Refer to your Discussion Board Rubric for specific grading explanation.

Discussion Topic

Description, prediction, and control are the levels of understanding that allow you to gain knowledge in science. Functional relations can only be identified when a specific change in the dependent variable is produced by specific manipulations of the independent variable – when the change was not caused by a confounding variable. “Determinism” is the defining framework of behavior analysis. Applied behavior analysis is very different from other fields of psychology in its approach to understanding human (and animal) behavior.

Please respond to the following:

• Discuss how “Determinism” and functional relations allow you to understand behavior.
• Explain how an understanding of the function of behavior guides your behavior interventions.
• Describe and compare mentalism and behaviorism.
• How does Skinner’s radical behaviorism differ from other types of behaviorism?

sources that can be used are

Cooper, J. Heron, T., & Heward, W. (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis, 2nd Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Miltenberger, Raymond G. Behavior Modification: Principles and Procedures.. [Purdue University Global Bookshelf].

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