2007-10-25 Emergence of a true science

Reading this textbook one can appreciate the science in the science of human behavior. Not that the science of human behavior isn't well-served by the philosophy of behaviorism or by ongoing research within the area of the experimental analysis of behavior. But what I saw in this book is just how much progress has been made in applications and how fully the scientific method has been utilized.

"Applied Behavior Analysis" is well organized both as chapters and within chapters, so I was able to absorb the material in small chunks. There is an excellent summary presented as a numbered list (with subject headings) at the end of each chapter.

Coverage seems thorough. As an introductory text, the whole kitchen sink has not been included but at 600 pages, plenty has been included. As fitting for an introduction, there are many fine definitions. In addition to the subject index and name index, a 3-page key term index is provided. Since I find myself getting confused at times by some usages of basic terms such as "contingency", "establishing operation" and "stimulus control", the care in defintion in this textbook was helpful.

Only one section of the book wasn't of immediate interest to me: the use of graphs and baseline design in Part 3 (Evaluation and Analysis of Behavior Change). I simply read the summaries of each chapter for that part, but had no trouble following all the other parts despite skipping over the Part 3 material. Many parts such as Stimulus Control, Self Management, and a succint presentation of Schedules of Reinforcement were stimulating to read. In the midst of the book, I felt the excitement of realizing how well this field is advancing.

Discussion of ethics and a concern for clients' rights are spread in several places in the book, e.g. in the sections on time out and punishment. More, perhaps collected into a chapter of its own, wouldn't have hurt. A "doctrine of least restrictive alternative" is advised, reflecting a concern that treatment not be too intrusive. The task list for the exam for Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BACB) states more forcefully the need to "ensure that the dignity, health, and safety of one's client are fully protected at all times." Many of the techniques used in applied behavior analysis could be used unethically or ignorantly, so it would have seems prudent to advise those learning them early on of these dangers. Necessarily systematic, these techniques could easily become mechanical and inappropriate. There seems sufficient resistance to applied behavioral analysis to warrant extra attention from the start of training to these issues.

A textbook based on Skinner's "Verbal Behavior" and subsequent work by behavior analysts in that area would be welcome. It would be anoter great way to show how deeply behavior analysis can be applied and these authors would do it justice.