Connections Between Radical and Methodological Behaviorism Through Functional Analysis

Abstract

Behavior analysis based on radical behaviorism and the psychology of learning based on methodological behaviorism are closely related to each other, yet differences exist that cannot be ignored. To connect radical and methodological behaviorism, the present paper focuses on issues with prediction and control of behavior and identification of the functional relationship between the environment and behavior. Other areas such as control theory and machine learning are discussed so that functional relationships that should be proposed for the purposes of predicting and controlling behavior, and implications that the study of methodological behaviorism might have for the study of such functional relationships, can be considered.