Some Characteristics and Arguments in Favor of a Science of Machine Behavior Analysis

Researchers and practitioners recognize four domains of behavior analysis: radical behaviorism, the experimental analysis of behavior, applied behavior analysis, and the practice of behavior analysis. Given the omnipresence of technology in every sphere of our lives, the purpose of this conceptual article is to describe and argue in favor of a fifth domain: machine behavior analysis. Machine behavior analysis is a science that examines how machines interact with and produce relevant changes in their external environment by relying on replicability, behavioral terminology, and the philosophical assumptions of behavior analysis (e.g., selectionism, determinism, parsimony) to study artificial behavior. Arguments in favor of a science of machine behavior include the omnipresence and impact of machines on human behavior, the inability of engineering alone to explain and control machine behavior, and the need to organize a verbal community of scientists around this common issue. Regardless of whether behavior analysts agree or disagree with this proposal, I argue that the field needs a debate on the topic. As such, the current article aims to encourage and contribute to this debate.