Don’t Ask for a Raise, Part 2: Reality Check
I’m glad to see this topic and the ideas I have shared recently have created such a response. Let me start by saying that I’m not naïve to think that your circumstances will be such that you…
How to Shape a Zombie
Yes, yes, I know that one is supposed to say “How to shape zombie behavior,” but, hey, it’s Halloween and weird things happening are OK. And what could be weirder than thinking about…
Are We Superstitious About "Superstitious" Behavior?
In the spirit of the Halloween season, it seems appropriate to comment on superstitious behavior, the subject of one of B. F. Skinner's best-known scientific papers. He delivered brief presentations…
Why Positive Management Training Should be Part of your Company Wellness Program
Most organizations understand the value in promoting employee health and wellness. Investments are made in wellness centers, gym memberships and weight loss programs. Turns out there is…
Simple and Complex Behavior
It’s not unusual to hear behavior or the circumstances surrounding it described as either “simple” or “complex.” Used to describe our human interactions, these terms often substitute in various ways…
Being Present: Some Observations about “Mindfulness”
The main title of this commentary was one among many New Year’s resolutions that our local coffee shop invited customers to post on its blackboard (yes, a real blackboard in this digital day and age…
Bait and Wait?
In several earlier commentaries, I have discussed different aspects of shaping behavior by reinforcing successive approximations to the target response – essentially a behavior-analytic version of…
Pushing or Pulling Behavior?
Are our actions determined by the past or by the future? We often speak of implementing plans, looking to the future, and having goals in mind. Our behavior is said to have purpose and intention, to…
Anatomy of a Clever Contingency
The government of Slovakia recently was reported (click here for the New York Times report) to have been having great difficulty collecting value-added taxes (basically, a sales tax) from many…
Deliberate Practice Misunderstood: Will Bad Practice Make You Better?
It shouldn't come as a surprise to me that the topic of deliberate practice continues to find its way into the headlines. As a matter of fact, one of my most-read articles is one questioning Dr.…
The NFL Desperately Needs Skills in Changing Behavior that Matters
Over the last two weeks there have been at least 7 cases making the news about domestic abuse by NFL players. This week, there was an NYT editorial on abuse and its justification by too many men…
Reward or Reinforce?
Are we concerned with "rewarding" or "reinforcing" behavior? Does it matter? Although perhaps not the most burning question in behavior analysis, it does bear on some important issues to those who…
Be Careful What You Read, Even if it’s from the NYT
Can it be that only some people like positive reinforcement? The older I get, the more half-truths and unsupported declarations bug me. Nowhere is this more evident to me than the way writers,…
When is Behavior “Adaptive”?
Behavior is said to be selected by its effects, or consequences, in a way that is similar to the selection of physical characteristics occurs in Darwinian natural selection. In both instances,…
Operant Learning is Everywhere
The principles of operant learning are well known. If, for example, you give your dog treats from the dinner table, it is highly likely that, whenever you eat, the forlorn critter will be…
The Problem With Banks Results-Driven Culture
A steady stream of headlines brings near-constant reports on banks running afoul of laws and regulations. Recent evidence includes the mortgage-securities settlements of Bank of America and Citigroup…
Electronic Performance Monitoring: When Good Intentions Turn to Digital Hammers
Electronic performance monitoring tools (let’s call them EPMs) are becoming more prevalent in the workplace. The transportation sector seems to be leading the pack at the moment. Dr. Ron…
4 Secrets to Leading Change When Your Company Is Already Successful
It’s no secret: Many successful businesses are slow to change. There are hundreds of examples in which corporations have rejected ideas and products that have been left to entrepreneurs to make…
