The Dead Man Test: a Preliminary Experimental Analysis

Behavior analysts often invoke the "Dead Man Test" as a means of distinguishing behavior from other things, but the assumption underpinning this test, that behavior is absent in vitality-challenged individuals, lacks systematic empirical support. In a field experiment, three individuals who reasonably could be considered as deceased each were observed under three conditions in which behavior might have been observed. None was detected. These results are consistent with predictions derived from the Dead Man Test, although, due to limitations of the experiment, that foundational concept of behavioral measurement cannot yet be considered as validated.