ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to define what the applied behavior analysis (ABA) is and what its distinguishing characteristics are by considering its philosophical assumption and historical background. To begin to understand ABA as a science, we should know that its philosophical assumption is based on determinism, empiricism, parsimony, scientific manipulation, and philosophic doubt. In addition, the defining characteristics of ABA studies must be applied, behavioral, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, and effective, and it should display some generality (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968). In this study, the definition of ABA (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 1987) is introduced and its developing background is described by grouping the historical studies into two areas: the Watsonian respondent conditioning studies and the Skinnerian operant studies. Finally, the trend of recent studies on Functional analysis of behavior (FAB), the important leadership and role of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), and also the current status and future perspective of behavior analysis in Korea were discussed.

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