B.F. Skinner is the psychologist correctly credited with systematically investigating the effects of reinforcers on behavior. There is much to it than this, of course, because Skinner transferred the notion from the lab to other worlds, both actually and conceptually. Many of the applications stemming from Skinner’s work have been spectacularly successful. History has followed Kettering’s observation that: “First, they tell you you’re wrong and they can prove it. They, they tell you you’re right, but it’s not important. Then, they tell you you’re right, it’s important, but they knew it all along.”
Government agencies do things for many reasons and usefulness is not high on the list. If something useful does get incorporated, it soon becomes diluted and only recognizable by its name. This is what has happened with behavior modification. The main reasons behind this is always the incentives involved. If all you have to do is look good, then this is what you’ll do. As Fred Keller said, you’ll end up with SLI–something like it.
Two of Skinner’s most famous students, Nathan Azrin and Ogden Linsley, recognized this possibility. Azrin called the summary of his far-ranging research program, “A strategy for applied research: Learning based but outcome oriented."
Lindsley remarked, "The pay-off to the academic scientist is number of pages published rather than magnitude of behavior change produced."
As behavior change methods expanded in scope, further dilutions occurred. The touchstone of Skinner’s original work was the free operant situation in which freedom to respond and, consequently, time were relevant. Frequency of responding was the dependent variable and amount of change and/or frequency of responding were important. Alas, except in some settings, almost all of which are outside government-sponsored actions, time, free-operant and amount of improvement have disappeared. The things which made the technology effective are no long relevant because the INTEND is equated with the DOES.
If government ran bronch’ ridin’, success would go to those who could describe it using the metaphors of the moment. Confronted with a real broncho, our government functionary would say, "What’s this?"
Cheerio and ttfn,
Grant Coulson
Cui Bono–Cherchez les Contingencies
