Quantitative behavior analysis and human values.
Many scientists believe that among the virtues of quantitative science are that its facts are free from personal, social, political, economic, and other cultural influences, or at least, if they are not, they should be. Radical behaviorism suggests, however, that a science of behavior must apply to peoples' everyday professional behaviors, including those of quantitative behavior analysts. The behaviors of quantitative behavior analysts, however, like the behaviors of everyone else, depend on the cultures to which they belong. A quantitative science of behavior must therefore describe and explain the cultural and human values of quantitative behavior analysts. In this sense, a quantitative science of behavior must apply to itself. No such "reflexive behavior analysis" currently exists and its development might shed considerable light on the basic nature of behavior analysis.
Shimp
Charles P
CP
Department of Psychology, 380 South 1530 East, Rm 502, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0251, USA. Charlie.shimp@psych.utah.edu
D001519:Behavior; D035841:Behavioral Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012945:Social Values; D012958:Societies, Scientific