Essential Readings for Undergraduate Students in Behavior Analysis: A Survey of Behavior Analytic Faculty and Practitioners
Faculty and practitioners agree on a core undergraduate reading list, but you can lower costs and boost engagement by mixing in free online resources and warm teaching style.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Frieder et al. (2018) sent a survey to behavior-analytic faculty and front-line practitioners. They asked one question: which readings must every undergraduate behavior-analysis student tackle?
The goal was a single, agreed-upon book and article list schools could trust when they build courses.
What they found
Cooper et al. topped the chart—everyone said 'keep it.' Beyond that core, votes split. Some faculty wanted more basic-research articles; others wanted applied-autism chapters.
The paper ends with a ranked list and a note: 'We still argue about the extras.'
How this fits with other research
Howard (2019) extends the same conversation to cost. Her scoping review shows free open-educational resources are scarce; most are not even written by behavior analysts. If you adopt the Frieder list, you still need to pay for the books.
Rehfeldt et al. (2016) extends delivery past paper. They built the first behavior-analysis MOOC, giving anyone with Wi-Fi free access to filmed lectures and quizzes. The reading list tells you what to study; the MOOC shows you how to teach it online.
Wilson et al. (2024) used the same survey tool but asked parents, not professors. Parents care less about which textbook you use and more about whether you sound warm. Their data remind you that the Frieder list is only half the picture—how you teach the content matters too.
Why it matters
Use the Frieder list as your course spine, but pair it with free or low-cost tools. Swap one paid article for an open-access replacement each term. Record a short video summary of the Cooper chapter instead of assigning extra readings. You keep the canon, cut student costs, and add the human touch parents want.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
A growing need for individuals with behavior analytic training at the undergraduate level has led to an increase in baccalaureate programs with a strong behavior analytic focus. Although research has been conducted examining essential and assigned readings at the graduate level, no research to date has focused on identifying suggested readings that should be a focal point of undergraduate training programs. The purpose of the present study was to identify what individuals from across the behavior analytic field believe are essential readings for undergraduate students as they prepare for employment in the field or admission into graduate programs. Respondents were asked to provide answers to a variety of questions about essential readings in the field and whether these would be critical to undergraduate training. This paper presents those texts that were deemed essential, as well as areas where opinions varied.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2018 · doi:10.1007/s40617-018-0260-x