Skinnerian Science and the Operant as a Unit of Analysis matters because it changes what a BCBA notices when decisions have to hold up in language assessment, teaching sessions, caregiver coaching, and natural communication routines. In Skinnerian Science and the Operant as a Unit of Analysis, for this course, the practical stakes show up in clearer case conceptualization, better instructional targets, and stronger generalization, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via The Verbal Behavior Conference
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Join Free →The operant as a basic unit of analysis is perhaps the most important discovery in the history of behavioral science. For over 80 years this seemingly simple analytical unit has served as a fundamental tool for understanding behaviors as simple as a rat pressing a lever to vastly complex behaviors, such as those involved in writing a book or driving to the store. Each behavior on the simpler end of this spectrum is often usefully classified, and fully explained, as an operant. However, each identified example of more complex categories, such as writing a book or driving to the store, is not so easily explained as "an operant." As behavior analysis continues to expand its research into areas of complex behavior, such as novel relations in stimulus equivalence and relational responding studies, an understanding of the physical boundaries involved in identifying the stimulus and response classes within an operant become increasingly critical. This presentation will provide a tutorial on Skinner's earliest analyses of the physical dimensions of the operant and how a Skinnerian analysis maintains these parameters as behavioral science progresses from simple to complex cases.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
David Roth has been a passionate student of B.F. Skinner’s works for over 20 years, with a special focus on applying behavior analytic principles to topics such as mindfulness, meditation, and lovingkindness. He is the former editor-in-chief of Operants magazine with the B.F. Skinner Foundation and currently serves on its publication committee. He is also a former member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. David has written conceptual articles and presented at conferences on Skinner’s molecular analysis of the operant, complex verbal behavior, and the intersection of behavior analysis with contemplative practices. He contributed a chapter on inclusion in education for the third edition of Julie Vargas’s Behavior Analysis for Effective Teaching, co-authored a book chapter (in-press) with Dr. Vince Carbone on the multiple control of verbal behavior, and wrote the foreword for the 2024 edition of B.F. Skinner’s Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. David also recently wrote the foreword for Dr. Paulie Gavoni’s (2025) book Finding Your Authentic Self: The Fight to Become You.He is the co-host of the podcast series Dialogues on Verbal Behavior with David Palmer, which offers a deep, chapter-by-chapter exploration of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior (1957).Professionally, David is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst serving school-age autistic support classrooms in Pennsylvania.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
224 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.