If thoughts and feelings do not explain behavior, what does?
Behavior analysts make the assumption that all behavior is the product of two kinds of variables: biological and environmental.
Biological variables include anatomical structures (birds can fly, people can’t), normal physiological processes (digestion, respiration, neurological changes resulting from experience), and anomalies in anatomy and physiology due to injury or disease. Genes influence behavior indirectly through their effects on anatomy and physiology.
Environmental variables include any changes in the environment (a rise in temperature, the availability of food, comments by other people, cultural customs).
Behavior analysts are primarily interested in the role of environment in behavior change.
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