2009/12/01 by M. Jackson Marr · 1 citation
Psychology · Neuroscience · #Behavioral and Psychological Studies #Autism Spectrum Disorder Research #Child and Animal Learning Development #Natural science #Natural (archaeology) #Agency (philosophy) #Mechanism (biology) #Natural selection #Behavioural sciences #Epistemology #Selection (genetic algorithm) #Psychology #Sociology #Computer science #Social science #Artificial intelligence #Philosophy #Biology
paper · doi:10.1080/15021149.2009.11434313
openalex publication_date 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2025/11/06
Most behavior analysts emphasize that a science of behavior must be a natural science as opposed to a social science or any other such description. But what does this mean and why is it important? I explore these questions by attempting to characterize the designation “natural science” and briefly surveying what behavior analysis has in common with other putative natural sciences. Included in the discussion are problems of agency, background assumptions, mechanism, and some examples of shared problems and issues with other natural sciences. Special focus is placed on behavior analysis as a biological science and the implications of that status.