Early Historical Development of Applied Behavior Analysis

In 1913, John B. Watson was the first American psychologist to call himself a “behaviorist.” From 1913 to 1974, a series of events and developments took place that helped to shape and contribute to the current approach to practice in applied behavior analysis. For this discussion, please review the assigned readings and the video in this unit.

 

Please respond to the following:

 

• What approaches were used to understand and study behavior prior to the introduction of behaviorism?
• What was John B. Watson’s rationale for focusing on observable behavior and the environment rather than internal events?
• What were some important events and developments in behaviorism from Watson’s (1913) declaration of the importance of a behavioral approach through Skinner’s (1974) development of radical behaviorism? Be sure to refer to the important historical figures that drove these developments in applied behavior analysis.

 

Review two of your classmates’ responses, using the following ideas as a guide and asking follow-up questions that promote further analysis and development:

 

• Are early (pre-behaviorism) approaches to understanding behavior described in thorough detail?
• How did John B. Watson’s conceptualization of a behavioral approach differ from the earlier approaches to understanding behavior?
• What was the progression from Watson’s original description of the behavioral approach to Skinner’s introduction of radical behaviorism?