EDF5683 Philosophical foundations of behaviour analysis
Faculty of Education
EDF5683 Philosophical foundations of behaviour analysis is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Education, offered in 2027 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2027
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 2 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
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Requisites
Before EDF5683
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After EDF5683
No unit lists EDF5683 as a prerequisite in the 2027 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Must be enrolled in D6015, D6017 or D6021
Overview
Behaviour analysis is a science devoted to understanding and improving human behaviour. To be skilled in designing and delivering behaviour-analytic interventions, one must first develop a strong understanding of the philosophy that underpins this science. In this unit, you will explore radical behaviourism—the foundational philosophy of behaviour analysis. You will examine the goals of science, the philosophical assumptions underlying behaviour analysis, and describe learning and behaviour from a radical behaviourist perspective. You will also explore the philosophical, conceptual, methodological, and practical implications of this perspective, and compare and contrast it with other learning theories such as constructivism, social learning theory, and cognitive load theory.
Offerings in 2027
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | Blended |
Assessment
- Multi-choice tests (1600 words or equivalent)Quiz / Test40%
- Applied case study (2400 words or equivalent)Written60%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
identify the goals of behaviour analysis as a science (i.e., description, prediction, control)
- 2
explain the philosophical assumptions underlying the science of behaviour analysis (e.g., selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, pragmatism)
- 3
explain behaviour (including private events) in accordance with the philosophical assumptions of radical behaviourism
- 4
distinguish among behaviourism, the experimental analysis of behaviour, applied behaviour analysis, and professional practice guided by the science of behaviour analysis
- 5
describe and define the dimensions of applied behaviour analysis.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study.
Usually, you can expect to engage with:
• 12 hours of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities, plus 33 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study
OR
• 45 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study^
^ International students studying in Australia are not permitted to undertake this scheduled learning delivery mode.
Scheduled learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
You will be provided with the opportunity to engage with relevant literature and resources. Further, you will be encouraged to deepen your understanding of topic areas through collegial discussion and debate, and by participating in activities designed to extend your understanding.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Please visit the unit Moodle site for further information.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Russ Fox
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for EDF5683?
EDF5683 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is EDF5683 offered?
In 2027, EDF5683 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is EDF5683?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does EDF5683 have an exam?
No. EDF5683 has 2 assessment tasks and no exam.