Mentalism and Radical Behaviorism
As a future ABA professional, understanding how the field of behavior analysis differs from other psychology fields is important. Behavior analysts use objective and behavioristic statements to describe phenomena they observe. At this point in your studies, it is important to start eliminating mentalistic statements from your vocabulary to help you to begin thinking like a behavior analyst.
Use the Mentalism and Radical Behaviorism Template provided in the Resources area of this assignment to complete the following:
- For the 10 phrases or sentences provided in the template, identify whether the statement provides a mentalistic or a behavioristic explanation for a behavior.
- Write a summary, explaining the reasoning behind your choices. You are not required to provide an individual explanation for each statement.
- For each of the mentalistic explanations you identify, provide a behavioristic explanation as an alternative.
- Analyze how the behavioristic approach is different from most other psychology fields.
- How would a mentalistic approach inform one’s practice?
- How would a behavior analytic approach inform one’s practice?
Assignment Requirements
- Written communication: Should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
- APA formatting: References and citations are formatted according to current APA style guidelines.
- Resources: Minimum of 1–2 scholarly or professional resources.
- Length: 2–4 double-spaced pages, in addition to the title page and reference page.
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
- SafeAssign: You are required to use SafeAssign before submitting the completed assignment to your instructor. Submit your work to SafeAssign as a draft, review the results, and make any needed changes. When you are ready, submit your assignment to the assignment area for grading.
Refer to the Mentalism and Radical Behaviorism Scoring Guide to ensure you understand the grading criteria for this assignment.
Note: Your instructor may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click the linked resources for helpful writing information.