There are many, many capable people in behavior analysis, doing all sorts of competent things, but it’s not everyday that something comes along that feels like a home run. Here’s one. Ryan O’Donnell, who heads up The Daily BA podcast and web site, has created a new film on the history of applied behavior analysis, and it’s must-watch stuff for everyone in our discipline (whether you do ABA or not, whether you think you care about history or not, etc.). This installment, which you can watch for free, is part of a bigger project Ryan has undertaken to chronicle our discipline’s history.
Ryan researched his topic relentlessly, and uncovered images, stories, and video that a lot of you, especially if you’re new-ish to behavior analysis, probably haven’t encountered. More importantly, in creating the film, Ryan understood that history, as an encyclopedia of events, feels dry and disconnected from our lives. But history as prologue shows that you just can’t fully understand our present without knowing the context of our past.
I think it’s incredibly valuable, in particular, to compare what our field’s pioneers were trying to accomplish, and the values that guided them, with what we think about on a day to day basis in contemporary behavior analysis. In some cases you discover that we have run with their raw material in ways that are so creative and successful that they would be flabbergasted. In others, you discover that maybe those pioneers — smart, caring, ethical people — understood our mission better than we do, and therefore can still make us better.
That thought exercise is valuable for us directly, and I’m certain segments of the film can be useful as well for the students and staff we teach. Check the film out. Tell everyone.
