Behavior Change or Behavior Analysis?

Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 2000, Vol 45(1), 58–59. The reviewer notes that this book (see record 1998-06509-000) is student-friendly and generally easy to read. However, Chance has incorporated a new presentation style into the text, perhaps extending the easy-to-read notion to a fault. In addition, although the basics of applied behavior analysis (ABA) are covered, the methods and procedures used in contemporary ABA (i.e., current best practice) are sometimes missing from the appropriate chapters. Finally, despite the fact that “analysis” is a defining feature of ABA, the focus of the text is on behavior change rather than behavior analysis. The reviewer concludes that, in general, it appears as though the fundamentals of ABA are addressed but many recent trends in the field are not covered. Granted, the book is designed for the novice and not all territory can be covered in an introductory text. For the level of the intended reader, the text is appropriately applied, precisely behavioral, but insufficiently analytic or up-to-date in its focus. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)