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| Science is Not All Mathematics, Nor All Logic, but it is Somewhat Beauty and Poetry* |
| Monday, May 25, 2015 |
| 2:00 PM–2:50 PM |
| Lila Cockrell Theatre (CC) |
| Area: CSE/EDC; Domain: Theory |
| PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Travis Thompson, Ph.D. |
| Chair: Mark P. Alavosius (Prxis2LLC) |
| Presenting Author: TRAVIS THOMPSON (University of Minnesota) |
| Abstract: Throughout the Renaissance, the arts and science were both often practiced by women and men of scholarship of all sorts. The very notion of a "Renaissance Man or Woman," speaks to the idea that today we have somehow lost our way, and expect divergence not integration. It was more common than not, that scientists also were practitioners of some form of painting or artistic writing, and the converse. From Leonardo da Vinci to B.F. Skinner, the two have more often than not been interwoven. The notion that the two are separate endeavors emerged after the Renaissance when science and the humanities diverged, reaching its culmination during and after World War II when C.P. Snow presented his famous Rede Lecture, "Two Cultures." The arts are integral features that create the context within which our practices as research and applied behavior analysts are conducted. Artistic factors also are behavioral variables in our analysis of behavior. They are also uniquely effective in creating the context for socio-cultural conditional learning and discriminations. As we look about us, we are compelled to ask, "Why do artists create art?" "Why can people with severe disabilities often create stunning artistic products while being unable to speak an intelligible sentence?" "Why do so many of us feel artistic activities are uplifting and add a dimension to our lives that exceed those of our science, alone?" "How can the concepts of the arts and sciences be integrated to mutual benefit?" In today's discussion, Dr. Travis Thompson will explore the intrerplay of artistic activities and behavior analytic endeavors, where they intertwine and separate. *The title is from a comment by the first American woman astronomer, Maria Mitchell in the 19th century. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Target Audience: Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants should be able to answer: Why do artists create art? (2) Why can people with severe disabilities often create stunning artistic products while being unable to speak an intelligible sentence? (3) Why do so many of us feel artistic activities are uplifting and add a dimension to our lives that exceed those of our science, alone? and (4) How can the concepts of the arts and sciences be integrated to mutual benefit? |
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| TRAVIS THOMPSON (University of Minnesota) |
 Travis Thompson is professor of educational psychology and emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, a Fellow of the ABAI, and recipient of the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis Award for Impact of Science on Application. He has been a member of the ABAI Executive Council, distinguished scientist, clinical practitioner, author and lesser known, a visual artist and poet. He previously designed and constructed stained glass, has written essays on art glass, does watercolor paintings and writes engaging poetry. Among behavior analytic scientists he is one of the more effective in expressing the humanity of our science. His is the author or editor of 238 articles and chapters and 34 books, several written for practitioners and parents of children with autism. He is known to be especially effective in communicating with nonscientists about the importance of our work. He is the ABAI coordinator of the Behavior Analysis and the Arts Special Interest Group. |
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