Association for Behavior Analysis International

Applied behavior analysis textbooks can be difficult to read for novice parties to the field. The terms behavior analysts use are complicated and often at odds with use in general conversation. In particular, the scientific works of B. F. Skinner can require multiple readings before the ideas are absorbed. However, he also wrote a novel, Walden Two, in 1948 that may serve as an easier introduction to the concepts and principles of behavior analysis. In this novel, Skinner presents a story of a utopian community based on the science of behavior. In describing a visit to the community, he works through different uses of behavior analysis through narrative vignettes. The purpose of this study was a content analysis of Walden Two viewed through the lens of current behavior analytic textbooks. The authors identified the main concepts in four different commonly used textbooks and searched Walden Two using keywords and colloquial translations to find plain explanations for behavioral principles. The authors found many of the concepts common to both the textbooks and the Behavior Analysis Certification Board’s Task List within the narrative of Walden Two. The authors will discuss their findings and the implications for use in introductory behavior analysis courses.

RBTs, BCaBAs, BCBAs, instructors of ABA