Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis Awardee
2002: Dr. Jack Michael
Dr. Jack Michael was born in 1926 in Los Angeles and entered UCLA in 1943 as a chemistry major. He served two years in the army and returned to UCLA in 1946, this time as a psychology major. He obtained a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. at UCLA, finishing in 1955. As a graduate student his main interests were statistical methodology, physiological psychology, and learning theory. During his first teaching job (Kansas University) he was much influenced by B. F. Skinner's Science and Human Behavior and since then has been primarily involved in teaching behavioral psychology; at Kansas University, University of Houston, Arizona State University, and, since 1967, at Western Michigan University. In 1957 as a result of influence by the rehabilitation psychologist, Lee Meyerson, he began to apply Skinner's approach to mental retardation, mental illness, and physical disability. During the next several years "behavior modification" was in a period of rapid expansion and Michael contributed with his teaching, writing, and public presentations. Most recently he has been concerned with the technical terminology of behavior analysis, basic theory regarding motivation, and verbal behavior. He contributed to the founding of the Association for Behavior Analysis in 1974 and served as its President in 1979. He was Western Michigan University’s Distinguished Faculty Scholar for 1989.
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