Open AccessFollowing rules in the intermontane West: 19th-century Mormon settlement
Author(s) -
William Norton
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the behavior analyst
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2196-8918
pISSN - 0738-6729
DOI - 10.1007/bf03392019
Subject(s) - objectivism , settlement (finance) , geography , sociology , history , epistemology , computer science , philosophy , world wide web , payment
The academic discipline of human geography is concerned with human activities, especially as these relate to physical landscapes and contribute to the modification of those landscapes. Although little attention has been paid to objectivist philosophies to inform human geography, behavior analysis might offer a useful explanatory model. As an example, a behavior analysis of selected aspects of 19th-century Mormon movement and settlement in the intermontane West is conducted. Mormons are a society of believers who practice cooperative effort and support for other members, and the Mormon church is governed by priesthood authority with members being called to perform tasks. This analysis employs the concepts of metacontingency, rule-governed behavior, and delayed reinforcement to analyze how Mormons settled the intermontane West.