EDF5683 · Philosophical foundations of behaviour analysis

Overview

Behaviour analysis is a science devoted to understanding and improving human behaviour. To be skilled in designing and delivering behaviour-analytic interventions, one must first develop a strong understanding of the philosophy that underpins this science. In this unit, you will explore radical behaviourism—the foundational philosophy of behaviour analysis. You will examine the goals of science, the philosophical assumptions underlying behaviour analysis, and describe learning and behaviour from a radical behaviourist perspective. You will also explore the philosophical, conceptual, methodological, and practical implications of this perspective, and compare and contrast it with other learning theories such as constructivism, social learning theory, and cognitive load theory.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. identify the goals of behaviour analysis as a science (i.e., description, prediction, control)
2. explain the philosophical assumptions underlying the science of behaviour analysis (e.g., selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, pragmatism)
3. explain behaviour (including private events) in accordance with the philosophical assumptions of radical behaviourism
4. distinguish among behaviourism, the experimental analysis of behaviour, applied behaviour analysis, and professional practice guided by the science of behaviour analysis
5. describe and define the dimensions of applied behaviour analysis.

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Usually, you can expect to engage with: • 12 hours of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities, plus 33 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study OR • 45 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study^ ^ International students studying in Australia are not permitted to undertake this scheduled learning delivery mode. Scheduled learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.