Principles of Behavior

by Richard W. Malott, Elizabeth A. Trojan

This book offers a solid introduction to the principles of behavior using a clear, interesting, entertaining style with many case studies, and everyday examples. It maintains a high level of intellectual rigor, addressing fundamental concepts at the beginning of each chapter with more advanced topics left for one of the two enrichment sections within each chapter. Chapter topics cover the reinforcer, reinforcement, escape, punishment, penalty, extinction and recovery, differential reinforcement and punishment, shaping, unlearned reinforcers and aversive conditions, special establishing operations, learned reinforcers and aversive conditions, discrimination, imitation, avoidance, punishment by prevention, ratio schedules, time-dependent schedules, concurrent contingencies, stimulus-response chains and rate contingencies, respondent conditioning, analogs to reinforcement, a theory of rule-governed behavior, pay for performance, moral and legal control, maintenance, transfer, and research methods. For psychologists, clinical psychologists, and social workers who do not specialize in behavioral analysis; as well as for supervisors and managers.

Genres: Psychology

480 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2003

Reviews

[JulsMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malott's unique, interesting way of introducing concepts at a variety of skill levels makes for very entertaining reading. This has been the BEST behavior modification/principles book I have ever used to design and teach an online undergraduate psychology course.