Análise do Comportamento: menções em trabalhos da literatura nacional que discutem o fenômeno da medicalização

Abstract

Radical behaviorism, the philosophy of science underlying Behavior Analysis, emphasizes the importance of environmental events in modifying behaviors and views human beings as biopsychosocial entities by considering phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and cultural factors in the study of behavior. Behavior Analysis is thus characterized by three main areas: empirical investigation of behavioral processes, conceptual reflections, and interventions aimed at solving human problems. Medicalization refers to the attribution of non-medical issues to medicine, treating cultural and behavioral phenomena within a medical framework. This study aims to characterize the definitions of Behavior Analysis in works addressing the phenomenon of medicalization through a bibliographic review of national literature. The results show that while most works correctly portray the concepts, a significant number of conceptual errors were identified. It is concluded that there may be a gap in authors' knowledge about Behavior Analysis.