Elementary Principles of Behavior

by Richard W. Malott, Maria E. Malott

A textbook with content level ranging widely enough to be used in both graduate and introductory undergraduate courses. Among the topics are reinforcement, penalty, shaping, special establishing operations, discrimination, imitation, avoidance, ration schedules, concurrent contingencies, respondent conditioning, a theory of rule-governed behavior, research methods, and jobs and graduate school. The glossary does not indicate pronunciation. Earlier editions appeared between 1971 and 1997. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

500 pages, Textbook Binding

First published July 1, 1996

Reviews

[Puja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I studied under the author for years in College... and was part of the review team for this manual. While it was an easy to read introduction into behavioral analysis, it was very much limited in its examples and theories. There is no history involved, and the focus is specifically on definition. Malott speaks completely about response-contingent behavior in a way that applies in only 60 seconds or less with the presence and/or lack of a reinforcer. However many examples (such as repeated personal accounts of dental flossing and diagrams of rats in Skinner boxes with the name 'Rudolph') make this text carry a stupid tone. If you have no interest/knowledge in behavior analysis, but want to gain some... look elsewhere.A good study but very repetitive and only applies to the training of rats, and sometimes autism.

[maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book from college that I reviewed again. This information is among the most valid we can read to understand "why we do the things we do". (That one's for you, Dr. Jones!)