Mentalistic vs Behavior Analytic Statements Grid: Examples, Explanatory Fictions and Why ABA Avoids Mentalism
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Get it written →Assignment: Mentalistic and Behavioristic Statements Grid
Complete the grid below. For each statement, determine whether Jen’s statement is mentalistic or behavior analytic, explain your answer (citing your source or course text in each cell, e.g., “this statement uses an explanatory fiction by…” (Cooper et al., 2020)), and, if mentalistic, provide an alternative behavioral statement. Then answer the three questions that follow.
| Statements – Below are statements Jen has made. Determine if Jen’s statements are mentalistic or behavior analytic. | Mentalistic or behavior analytic | Explanation (and cite your source or course text here also for each cell) (e.g. this statement uses an explanatory fiction by…(Cooper et al., 2020)). | If mentalistic, provide an alternative behavioral statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jen says that Tom overeats to help him cope with bad days. | |||
| Jen says that when the dog food can is opened, Sparky runs to the kitchen. | |||
| Jen says that Khoi cries because he knows it will evoke sympathy. | |||
| Jen says that LaToya procrastinates because she gets stressed out by big tasks. | |||
| Jen says that Ari knows if he cheats on his test, he will be given a 0. | |||
| Jen says that Carla fell down, began crying, and screamed “my leg hurts”. |
Behavior Analytic Approach vs. Other Fields of Psychology
[How does a behavior analytic approach differ from other fields of psychology?]
Problems with a Mentalistic Approach
[What is the problem with a behavior analyst using a mentalistic approach?]
Importance of a Behavior Analytic Approach in Practice
[Why is it important for a behavior analyst to use a behavior analytic approach and not use a mentalistic approach in their practice?]
Key concepts before you start
Explains behavior by an inner, unobservable cause in a “mental” dimension: wanting, knowing, feeling stressed, coping, self-esteem
Explains behavior by observable, measurable relations between behavior and environmental events: antecedents, consequences and learning history
- Mentalism: an approach that assumes a mental or “inner” dimension exists that differs from a behavioral dimension, and that events in this dimension cause behavior (Cooper et al., 2020).
- Hypothetical constructs: presumed but unobservable entities, such as “willpower,” “stress” or “anxiety,” used as causes of behavior.
- Explanatory fiction: a fictitious variable that is often just another name for the observed behavior and adds nothing to understanding it, such as “he overeats because he has an eating problem.”
- Circular reasoning: the cause is inferred from the behavior and then used to explain that same behavior: “Why does she procrastinate? She is stressed. How do you know she is stressed? She procrastinates.”
- Behavior analytic statement: describes behavior objectively and links it to observable antecedents (A), behavior (B) and consequences (C), the ABC contingency.
Behavior analysts do not deny private events such as thoughts and feelings; radical behaviorism treats them as behavior to be explained, not as the causes of other behavior (Skinner, 1953; Cooper et al., 2020).
Completed grid
| Statement | Mentalistic or behavior analytic | Explanation | Alternative behavioral statement (if mentalistic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom overeats to help him cope with bad days. | Mentalistic | “Coping” and “bad days” are hypothetical inner processes, not observable events. The statement uses an explanatory fiction by attributing eating to an inner need to cope, and “bad day” is undefined (Cooper et al., 2020). | “On days when Tom is reprimanded at work, he eats three or more servings at dinner. Eating may be maintained by the removal of aversive stimulation (negative reinforcement) or by the taste of food (positive reinforcement).” |
| When the dog food can is opened, Sparky runs to the kitchen. | Behavior analytic | Describes an observable antecedent (the sound of the can opening), which functions as a discriminative stimulus, and an observable, measurable response (running to the kitchen), shaped by a history of reinforcement with food. No inner cause is invoked (Cooper et al., 2020). | Not needed. |
| Khoi cries because he knows it will evoke sympathy. | Mentalistic | “Knows” attributes the crying to an inner state of knowledge and intention. The statement uses an explanatory fiction by assigning purpose to an unobservable mental cause rather than to the consequences that follow crying (Cooper et al., 2020). | “When adults are present, Khoi cries; crying is often followed by adult attention such as hugs and comforting statements, which may positively reinforce crying.” |
| LaToya procrastinates because she gets stressed out by big tasks. | Mentalistic | “Stress” is a hypothetical construct used as the cause of behavior, and “procrastinates” is a label rather than a description of behavior. The reasoning is circular: stress is inferred from the delay and then used to explain it (Cooper et al., 2020). | “When assigned tasks estimated to take more than 2 hours, LaToya engages in other activities, such as using social media, for an average of 45 minutes before starting. Delaying the task likely produces temporary escape from the effortful task (negative reinforcement).” |
| Ari knows if he cheats on his test, he will be given a 0. | Mentalistic (as worded) | “Knows” refers to an unobservable inner state. The statement also describes a contingency (cheating → a 0), so it can be restated in terms of rule-governed behavior: behavior controlled by a verbal statement of a contingency (Cooper et al., 2020). Some instructors treat this as closer to behavior analytic because it names a consequence; explain your reasoning. | “Ari’s teacher stated the rule, ‘Anyone who cheats on a test will receive a 0,’ and Ari can repeat the rule. During the last five tests, Ari was not observed cheating.” |
| Carla fell down, began crying, and screamed “my leg hurts.” | Behavior analytic | The statement describes a sequence of observable, measurable behaviors (falling, crying, screaming specific words) without attributing them to an inner cause. Her statement “my leg hurts” is verbal behavior that can be observed and recorded (Cooper et al., 2020). | Not needed. |
Behavior analytic approach vs. other fields of psychology
Behavior analysis is the science of behavior based on the philosophy of radical behaviorism (Skinner, 1953). It differs from many other areas of psychology in several ways:
| Behavior analysis | Other approaches (e.g., psychodynamic, cognitive, humanistic) |
|---|---|
| Focuses on observable, measurable behavior and its relation to the environment | Often focus on inner processes: thoughts, emotions, unconscious drives, personality traits, cognitive structures |
| Explains behavior by environmental variables: antecedents, consequences and learning history | Often explain behavior by inner causes, such as beliefs, self-esteem, motivation or the unconscious |
| Uses direct observation and repeated measurement of individual behavior, often with single-case experimental designs | Often use self-report questionnaires, interviews, group designs and statistical averages |
| Seeks prediction and control by experimentally manipulating variables to show functional relations | Often seek description, interpretation or insight |
| Applied work follows the seven dimensions of applied behavior analysis: applied, behavioral, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective and generality (Baer et al., 1968) | Treatment may target insight, cognitions or emotional processing directly |
| Guided by the attitudes of science: determinism, empiricism, experimentation, replication, parsimony and philosophic doubt (Cooper et al., 2020) | May accept constructs that cannot be directly measured |
Importantly, radical behaviorism does not ignore private events. It treats thoughts and feelings as behavior that occurs “under the skin,” subject to the same principles as public behavior, rather than as independent causes of behavior (Skinner, 1953).
Problems with a mentalistic approach
- Explanatory fictions and circular reasoning: mentalistic explanations often just rename the behavior (“he hits because he is aggressive”) and give the illusion of understanding without identifying causes (Cooper et al., 2020).
- Not observable or measurable: inner states such as “stress” or “low self-esteem” cannot be directly observed, measured or manipulated, so hypotheses about them cannot be tested.
- Stops the search for real causes: once behavior is “explained” by an inner cause, practitioners may stop looking for the environmental variables that actually maintain it.
- Does not lead to effective intervention: you cannot directly change “knowing” or “stress,” but you can change antecedents and consequences.
- Can blame the client: labels such as “lazy,” “manipulative” or “unmotivated” locate the problem inside the person, which can lead to stigma and less effective support.
- Inconsistent with the science of behavior analysis: mentalism violates the principles of parsimony and empiricism on which the field is based.
Why a behavior analytic approach matters in practice
- Leads to effective, function-based treatment: identifying the function of behavior through functional behavior assessment (for example, attention, escape, access to tangibles or automatic reinforcement) allows the analyst to design interventions that change the actual maintaining contingencies.
- Measurable goals and data-based decisions: objective definitions allow reliable data collection, progress monitoring and decision-making based on evidence.
- Accountability and transparency: technological descriptions allow others to replicate interventions and evaluate whether they worked (Baer et al., 1968).
- Ethical obligations: the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts requires behavior analysts to provide effective treatment and to base assessments and interventions on behavioral principles and scientific evidence, for example Code 2.01 (Providing Effective Treatment), 2.13 (Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Assessments) and 2.14 (Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Behavior-Change Interventions) (Behavior Analyst Certification Board [BACB], 2020).
- Respect for clients: focusing on changeable environmental variables avoids blaming clients for internal “deficits” and empowers families and teams to make concrete changes.
- Clear communication: behavioral language is precise, which helps caregivers, teachers and other professionals implement plans consistently.
Sample short answers
Behavior analytic approach vs. other fields: Behavior analysis studies observable, measurable behavior and explains it through its relations with environmental events, such as antecedents, consequences and learning history, rather than through inner causes. It relies on direct observation, repeated measurement and experimental manipulation, often with single-subject designs, and is guided by the attitudes of science (Cooper et al., 2020). Other fields of psychology often explain behavior through cognitive, emotional or unconscious processes and rely on self-report and group averages.
Problems with mentalism: Mentalistic explanations invoke unobservable inner causes, such as stress or knowing, that cannot be measured or manipulated. They often become explanatory fictions or circular reasoning, giving a false sense of understanding and halting the search for the environmental variables that actually control behavior (Cooper et al., 2020).
Importance in practice: A behavior analytic approach allows practitioners to identify the function of behavior, design effective function-based interventions, measure progress objectively and make data-based decisions. This is required by the BACB (2020) Ethics Code, which obligates behavior analysts to provide effective, scientifically supported treatment. It also avoids blaming clients and focuses on changes that families and teams can actually make.
Related reading: mechanisms of forgetting and animal learning and psychology theorists study guide.
Conclusion
Mentalistic statements explain behavior by unobservable inner causes, while behavior analytic statements describe observable behavior and its relation to environmental events. Of Jen’s six statements, those about Tom, Khoi, LaToya and Ari rely on inner states such as coping, knowing and stress, while the statements about Sparky and Carla describe observable behavior. Rewriting mentalistic statements in behavioral terms reveals the antecedents and consequences that can actually be changed, which is why a behavior analytic approach is essential for effective, ethical and accountable practice.
References
Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1), 91–97. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1968.1-91
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2020). Ethics code for behavior analysts. https://www.bacb.com/ethics-information/
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Macmillan.
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