Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is centered around the observation and measurement of behavior. Unlike other psychological approaches that might focus on internal states or subjective experiences, ABA emphasizes what can be seen and quantified. However, mentalisms—concepts like thoughts, feelings, and other internal states—often attempt to explain behavior through non-observable factors. For those studying for the BCBA exam, it's crucial to grasp what constitutes a mentalism and how to recognize it in practice. In this post, we'll delve into the core mentalistic concepts, including hypothetical constructs, explanatory fictions, and circular reasoning, providing clear definitions and examples.
1. Hypothetical Constructs
Hypothetical constructs are ideas or entities that are presumed to exist but cannot be directly observed. These constructs often include terms like "willpower," and "creativity." While these concepts might be widely accepted in other disciplines, ABA focuses on behaviors that can be directly measured. For instance, rather than attributing a person's reluctance to engage in a task to a "lack of willpower," an ABA practitioner would examine the specific behaviors that are observable—such as the individual consistently choosing other activities over the task at hand.
2. Explanatory Fictions
Explanatory fictions are statements that appear to explain behavior but instead just rename it, providing no real understanding of the underlying causes. Common examples of explanatory fictions include phrases like "he understands," "she wants," or "they believe." These statements do not reveal the environmental factors that influence behavior and are not based on observable actions. For example, saying "Sarah doesn’t participate in group activities because she’s introverted" fails to explore the specific, measurable behaviors and conditions that contribute to her reluctance.
3. Circular Reasoning
Circular reasoning occurs when the explanation for a behavior simply restates the behavior itself, creating a loop without providing any additional insight. This type of reasoning is uninformative and does not help in identifying the true causes of behavior. An example would be saying "Mark struggles in social situations because he’s socially awkward, and he’s socially awkward because he struggles in social situations." This explanation offers no new information and fails to explore observable behaviors or contributing factors.
The Pitfalls of Mentalistic Explanations in Understanding Behavior and Autism
In the realm of autism or child behavior research and intervention, one critical challenge is the pervasive use of mentalistic explanations. These explanations, which attribute a child's behavior to internal states or hypothetical constructs are often more unhelpful. A study titled "Mentalistic Explanations for Autistic Behavior: A Behavioral Phenomenological Analysis" (Mason, Davis, & Andrews, 2015) delves into this issue, offering a compelling critique of such approaches and advocating for a shift towards more empirically grounded methods.
Understanding Mentalistic Explanations
Mentalistic explanations often emerge from a need to make sense of challenging behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parents, caregivers, and even some professionals may describe behaviors in terms of what they believe is happening inside the child’s mind, such as "He’s acting out because of his autism." However, as the authors of the study point out, this type of reasoning is inherently circular and fails to offer a true explanation. Instead of exploring the environmental contingencies that may be reinforcing the behavior, these explanations merely reframe the observed behavior without providing actionable insight.
A Behavioral Phenomenological Approach
To tackle this issue, the study employed a behavioral phenomenological approach, asking parents to observe and explain their children’s behaviors in real-time. The findings were telling: the majority of the explanations provided by the parents were mentalistic, often attributing the behavior to internal traits rather than identifying external factors that could be addressed through intervention. This reliance on mentalistic reasoning underscores a significant barrier to effective treatment and underscores the need for a paradigm shift.
The Importance of Environmental Contingencies
The study's findings suggest that parents and caregivers are more likely to resort to mentalistic explanations when they lack a clear understanding of the environmental factors influencing behavior. This gap in understanding can lead to less effective intervention strategies, as the real sources of reinforcement for the behavior remain unaddressed. The authors argue that by focusing on environmental contingencies—identifying and modifying the external factors that reinforce certain behaviors—interventions can be more successful in bringing about positive behavioral changes.
Moving Towards Empirical Analysis
The study concludes with a call to action for both researchers and practitioners. It emphasizes the importance of moving away from mentalistic explanations and towards a more empirical analysis of behavior. This shift is crucial for developing more effective interventions that target the actual causes of challenging behaviors, rather than simply labeling them with abstract constructs.
Taking the BCBA Exam?
To excel in the BCBA exam and in professional practice, it's important to move beyond mentalistic explanations and focus on what can be observed and measured.
You can find this in our study guide
Reference: Mason, L. L., Davis, D., & Andrews, A. (2015). Mentalistic Explanations for Autistic Behavior: A Behavioral Phenomenological Analysis. Behavior and Philosophy, 43, 62-84.