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.