Machado Armando, Guilhardi Paulo, Caetano Marcelo S, Silva Francisco J
University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
Beacon ABA Services, Inc., Leominster, MA USA.
Perspect Behav Sci. 2020 Nov 23;43(4):791-802. doi: 10.1007/s40614-020-00272-w. eCollection 2020 Dec.
Eckard and Lattal (2020) summarized the behavioristic view of hypothetical constructs and theories, and then, in a novel and timely manner, applied this view to a critique of internal clock models of temporal control. In our three-part commentary, we aim to contribute to the authors' discussion by first expanding upon their view of the positive contributions afforded by constructs and theories. We then refine and question their view of the perils of reifying constructs and assigning them causal properties. Finally, we suggest to behavior analysts four rules of conduct for dealing with mediational theories: tolerate constructs proposed with sufficient reason; consider them seriously, both empirically and conceptually; develop alternative, behavior-analytic models with overlapping empirical domains; and contrast the various models. Through variation and selection, behavioral science will evolve.
埃卡德和拉塔尔（2020年）总结了关于假设性构念和理论的行为主义观点，然后以新颖且及时的方式将这一观点应用于对时间控制的生物钟模型的批判。在我们这篇分为三个部分的评论中，我们旨在通过首先扩展他们关于构念和理论所带来的积极贡献的观点，来推动作者的讨论。然后，我们对他们关于将构念具体化并赋予其因果属性的危险性的观点进行完善并提出质疑。最后，我们向行为分析师们提出处理中介理论的四条行为准则：容忍有充分理由提出的构念；从实证和概念两方面认真考虑它们；开发具有重叠实证领域的替代性行为分析模型；以及对比各种模型。通过变异和选择，行为科学将会发展。
