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ERIC Number: EJ999100
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0738-6729
EISSN: N/A
The Central Role for Behavior Analysis in Modern Robotics, and Vice Versa
Hutchison, William R.
Behavior Analyst, v35 n1 p29-35 Spr 2012
Serving as Rachlin's teaching assistant for his graduate course on animal learning in 1973 determined the direction of the author's career, which has been to build computer models and robots based mostly on the equations from that course and related ones. These artificial beings behave and learn very much like animals, and creating them forces a far more molecular perspective on behavior than Rachlin takes in addressing the issues in this article. The comments presented herein address Rachlin's points from the other perspective to which he has contributed enormously, the quantitative analysis of behavior. The author concludes that Rachlin has demonstrated how the existence of intelligent robots might stimulate thoughtful humans to adopt more effective understanding of our own nature. Behavior analysts also have much to gain from participating in the development of computer and robotic models of operant behavior: We can express and test our formulations more effectively, we can prove the sufficiency of our formulations to others, and we can play important roles in the development of valuable applied technology. The technology seems destined to threaten human well-being in the future, but that prospect should encourage more rather than less participation by behavior analysts.
Association for Behavior Analysis International. 1219 South Park Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49001. Tel: 269-492-9310; Fax: 269-492-9316; e-mail: mail@abainternational.org; Web site: http://www.abainternational.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A