Reference no: EM134016455

Theory and Philosophy in Behavior Analysis

Assignment  Radical Behaviorism
Assignment Summary
This assignment is designed to help you demonstrate your understanding of radical behaviorism by translating mentalistic explanations into behavior-analytic interpretations and explaining why radical behaviorism emphasizes environmental variables and contingencies of reinforcement rather than inner causes.
By completing this assignment, you will show your ability to think behavior-analytically about both public and private behavior and communicate conceptual foundations clearly in both written and recorded formats.
Start Here
1. Review the Assignment Overview to understand what you must submit for Part I and Part II.
2. Review the Assignment Instructions and follow all formatting and file requirements.

Part I Requirements: Conceptual Foundations (Written Component)
From the list of statements provided in the "Mentalistic Statements vs. Radical Behaviorist Interpretations" chart, select five (5) mentalistic statements (excluding the three completed examples). For each selected statement, you must:
1. Explain why the statement is mentalistic (identify the mentalistic construct and why it is nonfunctional or circular as an explanation).
2. Rewrite the statement from a radical behaviorist perspective by describing likely environmental variables (antecedents, consequences, learning history, and contingencies of reinforcement). You may add contextual details to support your interpretation.

Part II Requirements: Video Explanation
Record a brief 2-3 minute video answering the following question:
Explain why radical behaviorism does not appeal to inner or mentalistic causes of behavior but instead to environmental stimuli and contingencies of reinforcement.
Your video must include:
• A brief definition of mentalistic explanations.
• Why radical behaviorism rejects mentalistic causes as explanations.
• Emphasis on functional relations and contingencies of reinforcement.
• At least one example (you may use an example from Part I).
• Be clear, professional, and conceptually accurate.
Recording requirement: The recording should be only you speaking. No PowerPoint or slides are required.
Assignment Instructions
Your response should demonstrate:
Accurate understanding of course concepts
Application of behavior-analytic reasoning
Graduate-level academic writing
Proper APA (7th edition) formatting