Morris, Smith and Altus (2005) the Work

¶ … Morris, Smith and Altus (2005) The work of Morris, Smith, and Altus (2005) entitled "B.F. Skinner's Contributions of Applied Behavior Analysis" states that the contributions made by B.F. Skinner were both "profound and practical." (p. 99) The behavioral pharmacologist, Dews describes such contributions as made by B.F. Skinner to be scientific advances that impact society through either bringing about a shift in the view of the individual of self or otherwise by "leading to substantive changes in his environment." (cited in Morris, Smith, and Altus, 2005, p.

99) Dews relates that Skinner established "a science of behavior -- the experimental analysis of behavior." (Morris, Smith and Altus, 2005, p. 99) The definition of applied behavior analysis at the time of Skinner's founding of this field is reported to be found in JABA's first issue stating that it is "primarily for the publication of reports of experimental work involving applications of the analysis of behavior to problems of social importance." (Morris, Smith and Altus, 2005, p.

100) Applied behavior analysis according to Baer, Wolf and Risley (1968) must be "applied, behavioral and analytic…technological, conceptually systematic, and effective, and it should display some generality." (p. 92 cited in Morris, Smith, and Altus, 2005, p. 100) The most fundamental contribution of Skinner is reported to be such that makes a contribution to "applied behavior analysis" in form of "the style and content of his science" or in other words the methodology of Skinner reported to "range from his empirical epistemology to his experimental practices." (Morris, Smith, and Altus, 2005, p.

101) What is meant by the content of Skinner's science is "what he discovered with his methodology -- the basic principles of operant behavior." (Morris, Smith and Altus, 2005, p. 101) Reported is that knowledge was defined as action that was effective rather than being defined as contemplation and that the requirements of effective action were such as: (1) reliable descriptions; (2) accurate predictions; and (3) experimental control, and that the last two were greatly emphasized. (Morris, Smith and Altus, 2005, p.

101) In addition, it is reported that prediction and control did not have "correlations between independent and dependent variables" as their basis but instead the basis of prediction and control were "on the discovery and demonstration of functional relations between them" or in other words "functional analysis." (Morris, Smith, and Altus, 2005, p.

101) Stated third is that the "discovery and demonstration of these relations were…the process and the product" rather than that of statistical analyses of between-group comparisons" and of "direct experiential control of the subject matter -- within individual research designs." (Morris, Smith and Altus, 2005, p. 101) Lastly, it is reported that "functionality relations that had broad generality described basic principles" and specifically described were "principles of behavior." (Morris, Smith and Altus, 2005, p.

101) Finally, stated is that when there was integration of these principles with one another that they comprised a "theory or system of behavior." (Morris, Smith, and Altus, 2005, p. 101) Skinner is reported to have acquired these characteristics from various sources and a large list of sources from which he acquired these characteristics is stated.

Morris, Smith, and Altus (2005) report on the progression of Skinner's work and development of these behavioral theories and how he noted the use of ethics and daily behavioral control to explain and analyze human behavior and how applied behavior analysis emerged in Skinner's work between the years of 1959 and 1967.

REVIEW OF: JOHNSON (1996) The work of Johnston (1996) entitled "Distinguishing Between Applied Research and Practice" published in the Journal of The Behavior Analyst" reports that applied behavior analysis became a formal field of inquiry in the 1960s and that there were only a few researchers that made this contribution in determining is the "basic principles of operant conditioning could be used to solve behavioral problems in everyday situations." (p.

35) While such attempts are reported to have been practical in terms of their focus, "the style of analysis was often experimental, perhaps in part because many of the researchers were experienced in basic animal research." (Johnston, 1996, p. 35) If applied behavior analysis was ever officially introduced it is reported to have been in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis by the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior established in 1957 for the purpose of publishing the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Johnston (1996) reports that it is indicated that applied behavior analysis has "operated under certain constraints" although there is a question of whether these constraints were "imposed by early traditions or by the contingencies under which applied researchers work." (p. 38) Johnston (1996) additionally reports that which is still not fully developed in behavior-analytic research "is what in other natural sciences is categorized as applied science." (p.

38) Applied science is reported by Johnston (1996) to be defined as "experimental research that is connected to basic research through its experimental style and a basis in fundamental principles, directly driven by applied issues and problems, but not compromised by the practical imitations or the immediate service interests.".