Empiricism and the Power of Paying Attention
Part 3 of our five-part series on the philosophical foundations of behavior analysis
So far in this series, we’ve explored two key assumptions of our field:
- In Part 1, we looked at Selectionism, the idea that behavior is shaped over time through interaction with the environment.
- In Part 2, we unpacked Determinism, the belief that behavior doesn’t just happen “out of nowhere”—there are causes, patterns, and context worth understanding.
Now we come to the third foundational assumption of behavior analysis: Empiricism.
This one might seem obvious. It’s what most people think of when they hear the word “science.” But just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean we always apply it well. And when we don’t, it shows.
Let’s dig in.
What Is Empiricism?
Empiricism means that knowledge comes from observation and experience, not opinion or instinct.
In behavior analysis, it means we don’t just go with our gut or trust what’s always worked before—we watch, measure, and record. We look at what’s actually happening in the environment and with the individual, and we use that information to guide our decisions.
If determinism is the belief that behavior has a cause, empiricism is the method we use to find it.
It’s why we take ABC data.
It’s why we graph response rates.
It’s why we observe before intervening—and continue observing after we do.
Because when we rely on direct observation, we’re able to step outside of assumptions and actually see what’s going on.
Why It Matters: We’re Not Always Right
We all like to think we’re perceptive. We spend enough time in this work, and we develop instincts—about kids, about staff, about what interventions are likely to work.
But here’s the thing: instincts aren’t evidence.
They’re helpful starting points, but they can be skewed by bias, past experiences, even our mood on a given day. And when we mistake intuition for information, we can miss the mark.
Empiricism asks us to slow down and verify.
To ask: Is what I think is happening actually happening?
Sometimes the data confirms what we suspected.
Sometimes it challenges us completely.Either way, we get something more valuable than certainty: we get clarity.
Example: The Student Who “Wasn’t Paying Attention”
A teacher once described a student to me as “checked out” and “refusing to engage.” I sat in on a lesson expecting to see a kid with their head down, not responding. But what I observed was different.
The student was looking down—but only when a specific staff member was in the room. They tracked the lesson when she left. They engaged when given short written tasks instead of verbal instructions.
What looked like defiance was actually anxiety and escape maintained behavior—and it was tied to a very specific stimulus. If we had gone with the “checked out” narrative, we would have missed it completely.
Empiricism helped us reframe the situation and build a support plan that worked. Not because we knew better—but because we took the time to look.
Empiricism in Staff Support
Empiricism doesn’t stop at student behavior—it shows up in how we support adults, too.
Let’s say you’re coaching a staff member and they keep saying, “This just isn’t working.” It’s easy to want to jump in and tweak the plan. But if we’re applying empiricism, the first step isn’t to fix—it’s to observe.
What’s actually happening during implementation?
- Are the steps being followed?
- Are the prompts consistent?
- Are reinforcement contingencies in place?
- Are there environmental barriers we haven’t accounted for?
By observing carefully and collecting data on implementation—not just outcomes—we can identify whether the issue lies in the plan, the delivery, or something else entirely.
That process not only leads to better interventions—it builds trust. It shows we’re listening with our eyes, not just our assumptions.
What Empiricism Isn’t
It’s worth saying: empiricism doesn’t mean we strip the work of humanity or context.
It doesn’t mean ignoring relationships, lived experiences, or the emotional complexity of the environments we work in. It means we give weight to what we can see, count, and describe, and use that as our anchor when things feel cloudy.
Empiricism doesn’t make us rigid. It makes us responsible.
We don’t guess when the data is available.
We don’t jump to conclusions when we haven’t yet observed.
We don’t ask others to change unless we’ve taken the time to truly understand what’s happening.
That’s not cold. That’s care, done right.
From Data to Decisions
Sometimes we treat data collection as a checkbox—something we have to do to get to the “real work.”
But data is the work.
Observation is the intervention.
When we take time to understand patterns, we make better decisions. We stop spinning our wheels. We stop arguing about opinions. We move forward with confidence—not because we feel good about something, but because the evidence supports it.
That doesn’t mean every decision will be perfect.
But it means we’ll know what to adjust—and how to track whether the adjustment worked.
Empiricism gives us that compass. It keeps us accountable. And it reminds us that progress isn’t just about doing more—it’s about doing what’s effective, on purpose, and with clarity.
Reflection: Be Curious Enough to Watch
So here’s a reflection for your week:
When was the last time you made a decision based on what you thought was happening—and then changed your mind after you actually watched more closely?
It happens to all of us.
But the magic of empiricism is that it gives us a way out of those moments. It invites us to check ourselves, get curious again, and reconnect with the science that brought us here in the first place.
The Learning Behavior Analysis Team