Some characteristics and arguments in favor of a science of machine behavior analysis
Article [Version of Record]
Abstract(s)
Researchers and practitioners recognize four domains of behavior analysis: radical
behaviorism, the experimental analysis of behavior, applied behavior analysis, and
the practice of behavior analysis. Given the omnipresence of technology in every
sphere of our lives, the purpose of this conceptual article is to describe and argue in
favor of a ffth domain: machine behavior analysis. Machine behavior analysis is a
science that examines how machines interact with and produce relevant changes in
their external environment by relying on replicability, behavioral terminology, and
the philosophical assumptions of behavior analysis (e.g., selectionism, determinism,
parsimony) to study artifcial behavior. Arguments in favor of a science of machine
behavior include the omnipresence and impact of machines on human behavior, the
inability of engineering alone to explain and control machine behavior, and the need
to organize a verbal community of scientists around this common issue. Regardless
of whether behavior analysts agree or disagree with this proposal, I argue that the
feld needs a debate on the topic. As such, the current article aims to encourage and
contribute to this debate.