Reviews for How to Think Like a Behavior Analyst: Understanding the Science That Can Change Your Life

The average rating for How to Think Like a Behavior Analyst: Understanding the Science That Can Change Your Life based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-08-03 00:00:00 Lynn Woellert "But Kaitlynn, you already know how to think like a behavior analyst!" I picked up this book because I 1) Admire Jon Bailey and the work he's done to promote the field, and 2) to find out how a more experienced BCBA responds to questions we commonly get from clients and caregivers. Gotta say, this book nailed it. All of the questions were common and the answers accurate and concise without using difficult terminology. I'll definitely be stealing some of his examples in the future. The organization of the book and how it is written makes it a lot more approachable for use by families curious about ABA services. The last sections cover how to get into an ABA program and what to expect, as well as pop culture or philosophical questions. In particular I liked how he handled determinism vs. free will. That is a hard topic for a BCBA to discuss with a non-BCBA without putting them off. The very final question was how to deal with the people that, upon learning you are a behavior analyst, reply with "Are you analyzing my behavior right now?" I laughed out loud at this questions inclusion and appreciated how it was handled, with several suggestions for humorous replies and an admonition that questions like that, even joking, set us up to represent our science and our field. At the end of each question is a list of terms whose purpose I couldn't figure out. Am I supposed to use them in Google searches? Look them up? Check them off as mastered? These were followed by exercises. Many of these were great: Search online, read an article, observe behavior, try reinforcement. Many of them included looking up professionals in the community and scheduling time to chat with them, and that seemed like a very hit-or-miss approach that, at worst, might be extremely expensive. I would have liked to see more book and article recommendations, for those who want to learn more but do not want to get into an ABA program. TL;DR: This short and to-the-point book by a major behavior analyst has excellent answers to common questions on ABA, a valuable resource for laymen and professionals alike.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-01-24 00:00:00 Jennifer Heshon Love behavior analysis, but wasn't impressed with this book. It's easy to read and doesn't add much for someone who knows a lot about the field. I thought it made behavior analysis sound way to pretentious in order for it to be a good book to recommend to parents of clients. The only people I would recommend this book too is students who are curious about the field and deciding on their course of study.