RBT Module 1: Lesson 2 Transcript

What is Applied Behaviour Analysis? What is the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour.

In our previous lesson, we described behaviour analysis as the science of behaviour.  In this lesson we discuss the two main wings of that science: the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour (EAB) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).


ABA and EAB share a philosophy of science of behaviour. This philosophy of science emphasises objective methods of investigation and an assumption that behaviour results from interactions between the environment and individual variables (such as prior learning, developmental history and biology). Both seek to understand how the environment works, so that behaviour can be understood within its context. The Experimental Analysis of Behaviour focuses on the study of behaviour for its own sake. Its primary objective is the discovery of natural laws and principles that govern behaviour. It often involves conducing experiments in controlled environments with animals or people.? The Experimental Analysis of Behaviour tends not to focus on practical problems.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) focuses on the use of principles of learning and motivation that have come from decades of scientific research in EAB to solve problems of behavior that matter to society (e.g. communication, teaching, health and fitness, climate change).

ABA service delivery is concerned with assessing behaviours that are of concern to a client, identifying appropriate procedures to address the concern, adapting the procedure to the client?s preferences circumstances and needs and delivering/monitoring the results of the intervention procedure.

Those who practice ABA and EAB are scientists. Both groups utilise objective observation, experimentation and replication. However, while researchers in EAB focus on the identification of functional relations with a view to establishing the natural laws and principles of behaviour for its own sake, researchers in ABA want to ensure that research participants benefit by learning new behaviors which improves their quality of life.

In behaviour analysis, as well as in medical science, an experimentation-application feedback loop is necessary.? Just as ABA depends on EAB to identify laws and principles, EAB depends on ABA to demonstrate the generalisation of these laws and principles to humans and to natural, everyday situations. Such demonstrations also help to identify new phenomenon for EAB to investigate.

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