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| Int'l Paper Session - Neural Events and Automatic Reinforcement |
| Monday, May 30, 2005 |
| 9:00 AM–9:50 AM |
| Astoria (3rd floor) |
| Area: TPC |
| Chair: Jose E. Burgos (University of Guadalajara, Mexico) |
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| Radical Behaviorism Allows for Neural Causation |
| Domain: Theory |
| JOSE E. BURGOS (University of Guadalajara, Mexico) |
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| Abstract: The radical-behavioristic tenet that neural events do not cause behavioral events is problematic in one crucial respect. In radical behaviorism, causal relations are conceived as functional relations where causes are independent variables and effects are dependent variables. However, there are ordered functional relations whose independent variables are neural and whose dependent variables are behavioral. Radical behaviorism thus allows for neural causation of behavior. |
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| An Analysis of the Concept of "Automatic Reinforcment" |
| Domain: Theory |
| KENNETH MACALEESE (University of Nevada, Reno) |
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| Abstract: In contemporary behavior theory, “automatic reinforcement” is regarded as positive (or negative) reinforcement that is not mediated by another person, i.e., is not “socially mediated.” In addition to the issue of distinguishing between social and nonsocially mediated sources of reinforcement, the problem with automatic reinforcement is that it is not well integrated with theory and research on continuous, conjugate, and synchronous reinforcement. These three types or “schedules” of reinforcement may each constitute automatic reinforcement in some cases and at some times, but not in other cases and not at other times. Highlighted along the way will be the history and current status of automatic reinforcement, again with an eye toward determining exactly what is and is not meant by the term. |
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