According to our textbook, Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, ABA has always been a subject of controversy. Referring to ABA as behavior modification can cause confusion because the term "modification" has been often misused, referring to any procedure that has the potential to change behavior. This is the reason the term Applied Behavior Analysis is used as opposed to behavior modification.
Another opposing viewpoint with regards to Applied Behavior Analysis comes from individuals who believe that any attempt to change or modify another person’s behavior is coercive and inhumane. This viewpoint is made by individuals who describe themselves as “humanists.” Humanists argue that to change another individual’s behavior violates their free will and personal freedom.
According to the textbook, ABA was nearly ignored by researchers and educators outside of special education during the 1980s, possibly because its critics perceived “that the battle had been won and “behaviorism” defeated.” Recently, ABA has been under scrutiny once again even by special education teachers. Some possible explanations for these attacks are:
Behavioral approaches are too much work and provide too little reinforcement.
Behaviorism contradicts the popular developmental views of education and psychology.
Behavior analysis is a threat to the prevailing power structures in education and psychology.
Positive reinforcement is a practice that often lacks social acceptability.
Behavior analysis fails to glorify human beings as do other psychologies and philosophies.
What is your viewpoint on ABA? Do you agree or disagree with the critics?
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I definitely can see the arguements on both sides. In working with younger children I have often noticed that when planning for curriculum and daily activities, there is always the question of if we are allowing the children to make their own choices. So on the viewpoint of changing the behavior taking away from their independence can be supported. Also I think that many times teachers might immediately jump to change the behavior of the child before looking at their own individual behavior and reactions to the behavior of the child(ren).
I work in an environment where ABA is used heavily. The biggest concern I have about ABA is that I frequently see people using it who are not familiar with the basic principles and then train staff who end up with an even more diluted understanding.
For some children, ABA is the method that brings problem behaviors under control enough to function in an educational environment. The key is to progress through all the phases to make sure students generalize any skills they learn through ABA.
As a behaviorist, I cannot pass this thread up without comment.
As to behavioral approaches being too much work, that's baloney. Any good approach does take effort, but the principles are basic.
Too little reinforcement--then someone is not using ABA correctly. If ABA strategies are in place, then you can successfully decrease or increase a behavior, and what better reinforcement is there for providing a better lifestyle, more independence, etc., to someone's life.
Basic good parenting uses ABA strategies. Our whole life revolves around our behaviors being maintained or increased because of reinforcement or decreased due to punishment or extinction.
It is difficult for me to understand how education and psychologists are threatened by ABA, but I know they are. I just worked with a young woman who had a Freudian background, and all she wanted to do was talk about how the child "felt." I repeatedly told her that she could not possibly know what he was thinking or how he felt. Unless he told her, and, he could not, as he is 1-9 years old, and nonverbal. I wanted her to look at his behaviors--what she could see and record--in order to figure out WHY he engaged in the behaviors he did, but she just could not break away from the "it's part of his unconscious male" and so forth.
As for positive reinforcement lacking social acceptability, I really don't understand this one at all. I do agree that we are more likely to point out what people are doing WRONG vs reinforcing the behaviors we want to see increased. But, if this is case, don't we as a society need to shape our behavior, and start a self-management system to reinforce our reinforcement of others??
I realize this was long, and just a ramble...but I did want to comment.
If we ever do end up acting just like a rats or pavlov's dogs, it will be largely because behaviorism has conditioned us to do so. See the link below for more info.
#behaviorism
www.ufgop.org
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