Elementary Principles of Behavior

I took a college class on The Principles of Behavior in the early 70's and I still have this book in my bookcase. It's easy reading and when one of my children did something wierd (some behavior that worried me), I pulled out this book. All my children turned out just fine. I highly recommend having this book handy - now I'll use it for the grandchildren.

This is the textbook I use when teaching behavior modification/Applied Behavior Analysis courses. My students find the book easy to read, it doesn't talk down to them, and the humor keeps them engaged. This is a prime example of how behavior analysts think and write about their discipline from one of its best thinkers. Elementary Principles of Behavior is highly recommended.

The Elementary Principles of Behavior series is my standard text-book when teaching college level courses in ABA/behavior modification. It is written in a style my students enjoy, and it does not talk down to them. The information is up-to-date, and the first author is an excellent model for how behavior analysts think about their subject matter. I recommend the book to all teachers and students who wish to have a solid background in the theory and applications of applied behavior analysis.

I had to read this text for an introductory course, Psychology of Learning. It was a great reference and the examples that are offered in the text are practical and allow for a clear understanding of the principles of behavior. Sometimes I felt that the book was too easy to follow, but it will be very beneficial to those who are struggling with basic concepts such as reinforcement, punishment, shaping, contingency, and schedules of operant conditioning. Additionally, I found the "humor" that was used in some of the text to be offensive and condescending at times and I generally do not consider myself to be an overly sensitive person to these types of things. So check out the book for yourself!