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Stimuli, reinforcers, and private events
1University of New Hampshire.
The Behavior Analyst
|April 6, 2012
Summary
Radical behaviorism models private events as observable behavior, inferring their impact on actions through mathematical relations. This approach helps understand internal processes influencing external behavior.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Cognitive science
Background:
- Radical behaviorism posits private events share properties with public behavior.
- Direct measurement of private events is impossible, necessitating indirect methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model the role of private events in overt action using mathematical relations.
- To demonstrate how inferred private events relate to external stimuli and reinforcers.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing mathematical models to infer private event functions.
- Applying principles of behavioral momentum to quantify attending probabilities.
- Analyzing delayed matching to sample tasks.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that private events can be quantitatively related to external variables.
- Showcased a model where attending probabilities correlate with reinforcer rates.
- Validated the extension of operant behavior principles to private events.
Conclusions:
- Mathematical modeling offers a viable method for studying private events in behavior analysis.
- This approach integrates internal psychological processes within a behavioral framework.
- Further research can refine these models for broader applications in behavior science.
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