TOWARD A CONSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS: ETHICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RAISED BY APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

25 Social systems deriving their ideology from the Marxist schools would tend to reverse this stream of conceptual traffic, e.g., the term, bourgeois mentality. My reference to heavier traffic implies, of course, that reverse traffic is also found in our ideologies. An outstanding example, of course, is George Herbert Mead. The reductionist view which was strong in his time regarded the individual as ultimately explainable in physiological terms (the descent toward basic being expressed by society-individual-physiology-biochemicals, etc.). Freud, for example, regarded the solution as ultimately hormonal, and note also the neurologizing of Pavlov and Hull. Acceptance of this hierarchy is still strong. Mead reversed the polarity: psychology can be understood only in a social context, e.g., development of a self-concept is contingent upon perception of others, and differentiation from them. Mind is also to be considered in this social context (Mead, 1934, 1956). Interestingly, Mead regarded himself as a social behaviorist, and at one time occupied a chair of comparative psychology.

26 An analogy can be extended to the ease with which one can point out shortcomings of a social system and the difficulty of constructing social effectiveness in these areas. It is interesting that the Constitutional Convention, which met to set up a system, worked some time on it, and emerged with a document whose preamble is stated entirely in terms of positive outcomes. On the other hand, the Declaration of Independence, which provides the rationale for dissolution of a relation was written rather quickly and (my quick count of column lines in my almanac indicates) is devoted mainly to grievances- 67% of the lines (4% general statement, 54% specific complaints against the Crown, 10% against the British). The remaining 33% is divided between the general introduction (21%) and the conclusion (12%).

27 And, as Humpty Dumpty noted: "There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get unbirthday presents-"

"Certainly," said Alice.

"And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!" (Through the Looking Glass, Chapter VI.)

28 The term constructional was chosen over constructive for two reasons: One is that one may first have to eliminate debris to be constructive. The other is the connotation of constructive. It implies that any alternative is destructive, which is presumptuous. The term, constructionist, is too closely bound to narrow interpretations (e.g., of the Constitution). Constructional lacked these connotations as well as an antonym, leaving open its relation to pathological.

29 It can be argued that the fading procedure used for animal discrimination research derives from the fading of prompts and other gradual stimulus changes of p.i. This procedure, of course, can be considered as the stimulus control equivalent and derivative of prior animal shaping procedures. Viewed in this manner, the basic science provides a technologically-useful procedure which in turn provides a scientific tool and problem.