Programmed instruction about behavioral science basics
Could you or someone you know benefit from an online course in behavioral science?
Darrel Bostow, Ph.D., and Kevin Murdock, Ph.D., created an online, interactive tutorial that permits individuals to learn important basic concepts of behavior analysis. It permits users to complete series (pl.) of programmed instruction frames that lead to understanding of why people do what they do. It is called Science of Behavior.
If you would like to firm up your own understanding of the principles that undergird behavior analysis or provide a means for students, staff members, or colleagues to learn those basics, Science of Behavior is a valuable resource. Programmed instruction is built on the methods pioneered by B. F. Skinner and used by James G. Holland and Skinner in a book (Holland & Skinner, 1961) that I worked “read” in the early 1970s.
The basic approach is that one completes a series of frames that successively build on those one has already completed. Each frame is like a fill-in-the-blank item.1 Completing a frame successfully allows you to advance to the next frame.
Frames are organized into sets on the Science of Behavior site. Eleven sets cover specific topics such as respondent conditioning, shaping and chaining, generalization and maintenance. Each is self-contained so that learners can complete the entire series at their own pace.
There are also additional sets the cover some of Skinner’s books. Advanced users can learn about, for example, Science and Human Behavior, Beyond Freedom and Dignity, and other books.
Darrel Bostow’s name may be familiar to some Dear Readers. He published work on disruptive and aggressive behavior (Bostow & Bailey, 1969; Todd et al., 1976) and appropriate work completion in classrooms (e..g, Drew et al., 1982; Report & Bostow, 1976). He migrated to computer-assisted instruction later in his career. Science of Behavior is one product of that migration. Kevin Murdock studied with Professor Bostow at the University of South Florida. He completed a Ph.D. emphasizing a mixture of programmed instruction and distance education in 2000.
The tutorials are featured at the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (https://Behavior.org), the non-profit dedicated to enabling use of behavioral principles to solve problems in various settings and situations including education. The CCBS has lots of print and video resources on topics (e.g., autism, precision teaching) that SET readers will find of interest. Julie S. Vargas, one of the two daughters of Yvonne (“Eve”) and B. F. Skinner, directed CCBS for years. She is also a former professor at West Virginia University and author of Behavior Analysis for Effective Teaching (2020; 3rd ed.).
References
Bostow, D. E., & Bailey, J. B. (1969). Modification of severe disruptive and aggressive behavior using brief timeout and reinforcement procedures. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2(1), 31-37.
Drew, B. M., Evans, J. H., Bostow, D. E., Geiger, G., & Drash, P. W. (1982). Increasing assignment completion and accuracy using a daily report card procedure. Psychology in the Schools, 19(4), 540-547.
Holland, J. G., & Skinner, B. F. (1961). The analysis of behavior: A program for self-instruction. McGraw-Hill.
Rapport, M. D., & Bostow, D. E. (1976). The effects of access to special activities on the performance in four categories of academic tasks with third-grade students. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 9(3), 372-372.
Todd, D. D., Scott, R. B., Bostow, D. E., & Alexander, S. B. (1976). Modification of the excessive inappropriate classroom behavior of two elementary school students using home‐based consequences and daily report‐card procedures. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 9(1), 106-106.
Footnote
If you’re familiar with the CBM maze assessment procedure, you’ll see similarities between it and the sequences of frames. Frame sequences can be made more advanced (“adaptive”) by adding “branching.” In branching, an error incompletion a frame can take the user along an alternative path