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“Exploring Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) through the Three Levels of Understanding in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): Description, Prediction, and Control“ Science plays a crucial role in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). As a scientific discipline, it employs an organized approach to collecting knowledge and understanding the world. The purpose of science is to discover the truths in nature that are universally understood and independent of any group's beliefs and opinions. In ABA, science helps us understand socially significant behaviors that we aim to change, providing us with three levels of understanding: description, prediction, and control. To illustrate the role of science in ABA, let's consider the example of UFO sightings reported by military personnel. According to open sources, US Navy pilots have reported UFO sightings on a weekly basis. Additionally, the Pentagon has released video footage confirming the existence of unidentified aerial phenomena, and there has been an increase in the number of reports involving military personnel. Luis Elizondo, former director of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), has explained the observables associated with UAPs, including hypersonic velocity, the ability to change directions instantly, low observability, and trans-medium travel, which is the ability for an object to not only fly in our atmosphere but also potentially in a vacuum environment like space and even underwater. These facts provide us with a description of the UFO sightings reported by military personnel. The reports from the Navy pilots and the Pentagon's video footage provide quantifiable and classified information that helps us test for possible relationships. Further exploration of these reports can help identify hypotheses for scientific study. Luis Elizondo has also stated that UAPs have been observed at U.S. nuclear sites as well as at sites all over the globe, and there does seem to be some sort of intersection between these UAP or UFO sightings and our nuclear technology. While there is no definitive evidence that these sightings involve extraterrestrial phenomena, there have been multiple instances where military personnel has reported encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena that remain unexplained. These unresolved sightings provide an opportunity for scientific study, which may help us understand the nature of these phenomena and potentially develop methods to control them. However, since UFOs are not known to be controlled by any known forces, the third level of understanding, control, may not be applicable in this case. Nonetheless, ABA practitioners can use scientific methods to identify the underlying principles and mechanisms that may be driving UFO behavior and develop evidence-based interventions to improve our understanding of this phenomenon. Being open-minded and flexible in exploring potential solutions is an important part of the scientific approach in ABA, even when dealing with unconventional clients such as UFOs. In summary, science plays a critical role in ABA by providing us with a systematic approach to understanding and changing socially significant behaviors. By using an organized approach for collecting knowledge and understanding the world, we can identify hypotheses for further exploration and develop effective interventions for behavior change. Even in cases like UFO sightings, where the explanations may not be immediately apparent, science can provide a means for exploring and understanding the phenomena.
