MALK4000-403 Behavior Analysis and Radical Behaviorism Course description

Behavior analysis rests on two key assumptions: that a natural science approach to human behavior is possible and that such a science is desirable. This course presents radical behaviorism as a philosophy of science focused on behavior-environment interactions as an explanatory model. It introduces a conceptual framework that enables the prediction and influence of behavior, placing radical behaviorism within a broader historical and philosophical context and discussing its complementarity with other scientific fields, such as complexity science, network theory, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology. Core topics in psychology such as motivation, language, thinking, problem-solving, creativity, memory, and self-control are also explored. Additionally, the course extends to the understanding of the role of radical behaviorism in addressing topics such as values, freedom, and the ethics of influencing behavior.

Admission to the study program.

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge:

Knowledge

The student can

• argue for and against a natural-science approach to human behavior, focusing on how radical behaviorism explains behavior through behavior-environment interactions
• differentiate between various forms of behaviorism, and examine the influence of key scientific philosophies, such as pragmatism, dualism, positivism, empiricism, and contextualism, on these approaches
• discuss the role of prediction and control as critical principles for understanding causality in radical behaviorism
• account for selection as a causal model of behavior at the phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and cultural levels, and how this integrates into the behavior-analytic framework
• discuss how behavior analysis aligns with complementary fields, such as complexity science, network theory, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology
• discuss how ethical principles evolve over time and how they are relevant to the scientific study of behavior
• place behavior analysis in a larger societal context, explaining its relevance to topics such as values, freedom, and the ethics of influencing behavior

Skills

The student can

• apply radical behaviorism to interpret key psychological concepts such as motivation, thinking, problem-solving, and self-control from a theoretical perspective
• discuss and evaluate the theoretical alignment of radical behaviorism with complementary scientific fields

General Competence

The student can

• discuss radical behaviorism as a philosophy of science and how it can be used to understand various psychological and societal issues

The course content is divided into ten modules, with students’ learning supported by both live (on-campus and online) and pre-recorded lectures. Throughout the semester, students also have access to teaching assistants, who manage group and individual activities, and provide assistance with the course content.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• Complete an online instructional sequence consisting of 10 modules containing videos, texts, quizzes, and short essay questions (up to 750 characters, including spaces).

Individual home examination, 5 hours. Exam questions are in English. Students may submit their exams in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

All

Grade scale A-F

All answers are assessed by one examiner.

An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.