1. Behavior is anything that an organism does including that which is easily observable to others and internal activities such as feelings, thoughts, and urges.

2. Thoughts, feelings, and urges are not explanation or causes of behavior. Rather behavior analysts view thoughts, feelings, and urges as behaviors themselves that require explanation like any other behavior.

3. The subject mater of behavior analysis is behavior in its context, nothing else. Behavior analysts operate on the assumption that all behavior is lawful and the result of genetic and environmental causes.

4. Behavior is not an indicator of non-verifiable processes or events that are hypothesized to be beyond the reach of a natural science explanation.

5. Behavior analysts are primarily concerned with development of a complete, natural science account of behavior. While behavior analysts primarily view their function as determining the role the environment plays in behavior, they recognize that biological variables are also important.

6. A person's behavior is seen as having been shaped or selected by the environment in much the same way as characteristics of whole species are selected over time by adaptation to environmental characteristics.

7. Behavior analysts study both human and animal behavior to learn of their similarities and differences. While animal behavior is important in itself, its study also provides a way of simplifying complex questions about human behavior.

8. Behavior analytic principles and research continue to be applied in most every walk of life including general and special education, therapy, autism intervention, management-labor practices, health and wellness practices, protection of the environment, and parenting.

9. Experimental, theoretical, and applied approaches to the development of these defining characteristics are steadily being addressed and developed, thus ensuring that behavior analysis is an ever improving, self-correcting discipline.