Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) Discussion Essay
50 years later, this article still relates to Applied Behavior Analysis today because in current ABA, clinicians believe that there must be a relationship between stimuli and the way humans behave in an environment. “In applied research, there is typically a close relationship between the behavior and stimuli under study and the subject in whom they are studied” (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968). Although I do not have extensive knowledge on assessments and interventions yet, I do believe that there is a relationship between stimuli and behavior. The technological dimension of applied behavior analysis is still highly relevant today because it allows clinicians to relay information in an understandable way to caregivers and others. It is crucial for parents or caregivers to understand the client’s treatment, programs, and interventions for the caregiver to feel more confident in what ABA is about. The technological definition of ABA is the most impactful to me because it portrays me as more a more relatable human when I am discussing treatment and interventions for the client.
References
Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis1. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1), 91–97. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1968.1-91
Discussion: Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968)
Photo Credit: utah51 / Adobe Stock
Applied behavior analysis is a movement that began in the late 1950s within the field of experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) and was based on B. F. Skinner’s operant conditioning principles. As the applied orientation began to develop, it focused on practical interventions and applied topics relevant to socially significant behavior. This focus represented an incongruity with the criteria and research questions representing basic theoretical research and analysis in the field of contemporary applied psychology. This incongruity grew enough to demonstrate a need for a journal focused on the increasingly popular applied orientation.
In 1967, the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) was launched to address the need. The editors of the journal included Donald Baer, Montrose M. Wolf, and Todd Risley, who in the first issue of the JABA journal contributed an article that proposed criteria that would come to inform the application of concepts of applied behavior analysis. It also served to provide guidance to researchers seeking to be published in the journal. As indicated by the title of their seminal 1968 article, “Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis,” Baer, Wolf, and Risley proposed seven criteria, or dimensions, of applied behavior analysis (Baer et al., 1968).
For this Discussion, you will reflect on the seminal article by Baer et al. (1968), located in this week’s Learning Resources, and evaluate the relevance of the seven dimensions of behavior analysis in the article to the practice of behavior analysis today. You will also identify your most important takeaway from the article.
Reference:
Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1), 91–97.
To Prepare
By Day 4 of Week 5
Post what makes the information in the Baer, Wolf, and Risley article relevant to the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis today, more than 50 years later as well as what is the most important thing you learned from this article and how might this information impact your future professional work as a behavior analyst.
Read your colleagues’ postings.
Note: For this discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the To Participate in this Discussion link, then select Create Thread to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!
By Day 6 of Week 5
Respond to at least two colleagues’ posts in one of the following ways:
- Expand on their explanation of what makes the information in the Baer, Wolf, and Risley article relevant to the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis today, more than 50 years later.
- Offer additional insights regarding the most important thing they learned from the article and its potential impact on their future professional work as a behavior analyst.
Be sure to support your posts and responses with specific references to behavior-analytic theory and research. In addition to the Learning Resources, search the Walden Library and/or the internet for peer-reviewed articles to support your posts and responses. Use proper APA format and citations, including those in the Learning Resources.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights that you have gained because of your colleagues’ comments.
