Human geography and behavior analysis: An application of behavior analysis to the explanation of the evolution of human landscapes

Abstract

Human geography is a social science concerned primarily with data-based analyses and the utilization of various theoretical constructs mostly developed in other social science disciplines. A discussion of the character of human geography supports the suggestion that human geographic analyses of landscapes will benefit from employment of additional theories, specifically from a judicious interpretation and application of work in behavior analysis. Human landscape-making behavior can be explained using the concepts and principles of behavior analysis as developed in psychology and as applied in sociology and anthropology. For human geographers, this suggestion is at variance with most other recent conceptual contributions that emphasize alternative social theorizations, such as those associated with Marxism, humanism, or critical science. A preliminary application of behavior analysis to one specific research issue, namely, 19th-century agricultural landscape change in southeastern Australia, using the concepts of operant conditioning, establishing operations, rule-governed behavior, and metacontingency, indicates the value of the approach.