Attitudes of ABA

Attitudes of ABA

1. Determinism

   • The assumption upon which science is predicated. The presumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which all phenomena occur as the result of other events.

2. Empiricism

   • The practice of objective observation of phenomena of interest. "Objectivity" is the key to gaining a better understanding of what is being studied.

3. Experimentation

   • A controlled comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest (dependent variable) under two or more different conditions in which only one factor at a time (independent variable) differs from one condition to the next.

4. Replication

   • The repetition of experiments to determine the reliability and usefulness of findings. If something occurs one time, you need replication to determine if your independent variable is the reason for behavior change.

5. Parsimony

   • The idea that simple, logical explanations must be ruled out, experimentally or conceptually, before more complex or abstract explanations are considered.

6. Philosophic Doubt

   • The continuous questioning of the truthfulness and validity of all scientific theory and knowledge. Science is always evolving and what we know now might change.