Why Environmentally Based Analyses Are Necessary in Behavior Analysis

Both Staddon's article and Branch's original editorial show the need for philosophical clarity within behavior analysis. Staddon raises at least a dozen issues, organized as a statement about the adequacy of behavior-analytic conventional wisdom. But by failing to be clear about his own underlying assumptions, Staddon has confused logical or empirical issues on the one hand with philosophical topics on the other. I will focus on the central topic Staddon seems concerned about: the need for environmentally based accounts. Contrary to his position, I argue that environmentally based accounts are necessary in behavior analysis for entirely non-trivial reasons.