Historical Explanations
1. What are historical explanations?
Historical explanations are another term for ultimate explanations which are concerned with the entire existence of a group of organisms as opposed to just the explanations of a specific individual.
2. How are Freudian concepts historical explanations? What mistake do such explanations make to manufacture an immediate cause of behavior?
Freudian concepts are historical explanations because of the use of childhood experiences as explanations for adulthood behavior. These explanations make the mistake of assuming a childhood event to be so meaningful it can manufacture an immediate cause of present behavior. However, using these events as a cause of behavior often leads to fabrication and assumptions that are …show more content…
unable to be validated.
3. Why is it acceptable to allow ‘gaps of time’ in the causation of behavior?
It is acceptable to allow ‘gaps of time’ in the causation of behavior because there is no immediate negative consequence in allowing this method of causation.
However, if there is too long of a gap in time such as from childhood to adulthood, then problems can arise negatively impacting the scientific implications.
4. What is a functional unit? How is this applied to species? How is this applied to behavior/activity?
A functional unit is a group of animals that are described of in terms of how individuals in that group act. This is applied to species in terms of reproduction. This is also applied to behavior/activity in terms of molar action categories and events that extend across time.
5. How do ‘context and consequence’ underlie the idea of the ‘purpose’ of behavior?
‘Context and consequence’ underlie the idea of the ‘purpose’ of behavior because of the relation it has with history. Additionally, the ‘purpose’ of behavior is related to the consequences of a specific action.
6. How can purpose refer to function?
Purpose refers to function in terms of the impact an action can have. Additionally, purpose can be thought of as the goals and potential reinforcers of a behavioral action.
7. How can purpose refer to
cause?
Purpose refers to cause in terms of the mental representation of the cause being moved from the future to the present. This allows for the rule of science to not be broken by having the future as a cause of behavior.
8. How can purpose refer to feeling?
Purpose refers to feeling when thinking about private events. Our own internal private events seem as if they are in the present and when we speak of them to others it is then public. However, other peoples’ private events are unknown also adding mystery to their own purposes.
9. How do we talk about the past? Future?
The past is talked about in terms of the environmental conditions of the present and the past reinforcement contingences that occurred. The future is talked about in terms of the verbal statements of the individuals, allowing certain qualities to be reinforcing thus leading to the prediction.
10. What does it mean that behavior is selected by consequences?
Behavior selected by consequences means that the impact a behavioral action has will ultimately impact the response in the present and in the future. Additionally, leading to the past circumstances and future circumstances impacting the behavioral response.
11. How can a behavioral philosophy account for creative acts?
A behavioral philosophy accounts for creative acts because even though the act may be new, the behaviors of the past can impact the likelihood of the act occurring in the present circumstances. Additionally, this understanding can also be applied to the concept of novelty.
12. What role do feelings have in producing behavior? Why are they considered ‘byproducts’?
Feelings have the role of being cues for statements, thus producing behavior in terms of private events. They are considered ‘byproducts’ because they arise from the same reinforcement and punishment history of the past as other behavior. The feeling of the punishment or reinforcement of that behavior in the past will be a byproduct of that behavior in the future.
Historical explanations are another term for ultimate explanations which are concerned with the entire existence of a group of organisms as opposed to just the explanations of a specific individual.
2. How are Freudian concepts historical explanations? What mistake do such explanations make to manufacture an immediate cause of behavior?
Freudian concepts are historical explanations because of the use of childhood experiences as explanations for adulthood behavior. These explanations make the mistake of assuming a childhood event to be so meaningful it can manufacture an immediate cause of present behavior. However, using these events as a cause of behavior often leads to fabrication and assumptions that are …show more content…
unable to be validated.
3. Why is it acceptable to allow ‘gaps of time’ in the causation of behavior?
It is acceptable to allow ‘gaps of time’ in the causation of behavior because there is no immediate negative consequence in allowing this method of causation.
However, if there is too long of a gap in time such as from childhood to adulthood, then problems can arise negatively impacting the scientific implications.
4. What is a functional unit? How is this applied to species? How is this applied to behavior/activity?
A functional unit is a group of animals that are described of in terms of how individuals in that group act. This is applied to species in terms of reproduction. This is also applied to behavior/activity in terms of molar action categories and events that extend across time.
5. How do ‘context and consequence’ underlie the idea of the ‘purpose’ of behavior?
‘Context and consequence’ underlie the idea of the ‘purpose’ of behavior because of the relation it has with history. Additionally, the ‘purpose’ of behavior is related to the consequences of a specific action.
6. How can purpose refer to function?
Purpose refers to function in terms of the impact an action can have. Additionally, purpose can be thought of as the goals and potential reinforcers of a behavioral action.
7. How can purpose refer to
cause?
Purpose refers to cause in terms of the mental representation of the cause being moved from the future to the present. This allows for the rule of science to not be broken by having the future as a cause of behavior.
8. How can purpose refer to feeling?
Purpose refers to feeling when thinking about private events. Our own internal private events seem as if they are in the present and when we speak of them to others it is then public. However, other peoples’ private events are unknown also adding mystery to their own purposes.
9. How do we talk about the past? Future?
The past is talked about in terms of the environmental conditions of the present and the past reinforcement contingences that occurred. The future is talked about in terms of the verbal statements of the individuals, allowing certain qualities to be reinforcing thus leading to the prediction.
10. What does it mean that behavior is selected by consequences?
Behavior selected by consequences means that the impact a behavioral action has will ultimately impact the response in the present and in the future. Additionally, leading to the past circumstances and future circumstances impacting the behavioral response.
11. How can a behavioral philosophy account for creative acts?
A behavioral philosophy accounts for creative acts because even though the act may be new, the behaviors of the past can impact the likelihood of the act occurring in the present circumstances. Additionally, this understanding can also be applied to the concept of novelty.
12. What role do feelings have in producing behavior? Why are they considered ‘byproducts’?
Feelings have the role of being cues for statements, thus producing behavior in terms of private events. They are considered ‘byproducts’ because they arise from the same reinforcement and punishment history of the past as other behavior. The feeling of the punishment or reinforcement of that behavior in the past will be a byproduct of that behavior in the future.