This article reports a study of the founding of applied behavior analysis through its publications. Our methods included hand searches of sources (e.g., journals, reference lists), search terms (i.e., early, applied, behavioral, research, literature), inclusion criteria (e.g., the field’s applied dimension), and (d) challenges to their face and content validity. Our results were 36 articles published between 1959 and 1967 that we organized into 4 groups: 12 in 3 programs of research and 24 others. Our discussion addresses (a) limitations in our method (e.g., the completeness of our search), (b) challenges to the validity of our methods and results (e.g., convergent validity), and (c) priority claims about the field’s founding. We conclude that the claims are irresolvable because identification of the founding publications depends significantly on methods and because the field’s founding was an evolutionary process. We close with suggestions for future research.

Book Review| February 01 2014 The Encyclopedic Guide to American Intentional Communities The Encyclopedic Guide to American Intentional Communities (American Communal Societies Series, Number 9). Edited by Timothy Miller. Richard W. Couper Press, 2013. 586 pages. $75.00 paper. Deborah Altus Deborah Altus Washburn University Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Nova Religio (2014) 17 (3): 127–128. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2014.17.3.127 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Deborah Altus; The Encyclopedic Guide to American Intentional Communities. Nova Religio 1 February 2014; 17 (3): 127–128. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2014.17.3.127 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentNova Religio Search This content is only available via PDF. © 2014 by The Regents of the University of California2014 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Book Review| November 01 2012 Review The Love Israel Family: Urban Commune, Rural Commune. By Charles P. LeWarne. University of Washington Press, 2009. 307 p. $24.95 paper. Deborah Altus Deborah Altus Washburn University Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Nova Religio (2012) 16 (2): 101–103. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2012.16.2.101 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Deborah Altus; Review. Nova Religio 1 November 2012; 16 (2): 101–103. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2012.16.2.101 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentNova Religio Search This content is only available via PDF. © 2012 by The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Please direct all requests for permission to photocopy or reproduce article content through the University of California Press's Rights and Permissions website, at http://www.ucpressjournals.com/reprintinfo.asp.2012 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

This paper addresses B. F. Skinner's utopian vision for enhancing social justice and human well-being in his 1948 novel, Walden Two. In the first part, we situate the book in its historical, intellectual, and social context of the utopian genre, address critiques of the book's premises and practices, and discuss the fate of intentional communities patterned on the book. The central point here is that Skinner's utopian vision was not any of Walden Two's practices, except one: the use of empirical methods to search for and discover practices that worked. In the second part, we describe practices in Skinner's book that advance social justice and human well-being under the themes of health, wealth, and wisdom, and then show how the subsequent literature in applied behavior analysis supports Skinner's prescience. Applied behavior analysis is a measure of the success of Skinner's utopian vision: to experiment.

Our paper reviews and analyzes B. F. Skinner's contributions to applied behavior analysis in order to assess his role as the field's originator and founder. We found, first, that his contributions fall into five categorizes: the style and content of his science, his interpretations of typical and atypical human behavior, the implications he drew from his science for application, his descriptions of possible applications, and his own applications to nonhuman and human behavior. Second, we found that he explicitly or implicitly addressed all seven dimensions of applied behavior analysis. These contributions and the dimensions notwithstanding, he neither incorporated the field's scientific (e.g., analytic) and social dimensions (e.g., applied) into any program of published research such that he was its originator, nor did he systematically integrate, advance, and promote the dimensions so to have been its founder. As the founder of behavior analysis, however, he was the father of applied behavior analysis.

This paper addresses B. F. Skinner's utopian vision for enhancing social justice and human well‐being as it was introduced in his 1948 novel, Walden Two. In the first part, we address the historical, intellectual, and social context that situates the book in the utopian genre, the critiques of its premises and practices, and the fate of intentional communities patterned on the book. In the second part, we review practices in Skinner's book that advance social justice and human well‐being under the themes of health, wealth, and wisdom, and then focus on contemporary practices that are the legacy of his vision. His vision was neither the a priori truth of a particular premise about human behavior or a necessary practice (blueprint) for an intentional community but rather the use of empirical methods to discover premises and practices that work to advance the health, wealth, and wisdom of individuals and survival of the culture.

Previous research has shown that it is possible to increase the engagement of residents with dementia in daily activities by making changes in institutional care practices. However, these changes often require expensive and cumbersome staff training programs that longterm care facilities may be unlikely to adopt and maintain. This study evaluates a simple, inexpensive recording and feedback procedure to increase resident engagement in a way that may be more amenable to adoption by long-term care facilities. Nursing assistants working in a locked dementia care unit were asked to complete a daily activity record on which they recorded the amount and quality of resident engagement. The facility's activity director was asked to read these activity records each day and give immediate, positive feedback to the nursing assistants. This procedure was evaluated by using a control series design. Results revealed baseline engagement observations with a mean of 11 percent, which increased to a mean of 44 percent during observations under treatment conditions. This study suggests that simple, inexpensive changes in institutional practices can make meaningful improvements in the level of engagement of residents with dementia.

Although researchers stress the importance of encouraging independent behavior in persons with dementia, institutional practices often foster dependence. This study took place in a six-resident locked dementia care unit that followed the common institutional practice of serving meals on prepared plates. The purpose of this study was to examine if changing the mode of meal delivery to "family-style," where residents were presented with serving bowls and empty plates, would increase resident communication and participation in mealtime tasks. An ABAB' reversal design revealed very low rates of appropriate communication (5% of intervals) and mealtime participation (10% of tasks) during baseline, when residents received prepared plates (A). Communication and participation doubled when family-style meal delivery was introduced (B) and dropped back to baseline levels when it was withdrawn (A). Because the levels of communication and participation during family-style meals were still low, the nursing assistant was provided with instruction on prompting and praising appropriate mealtime behaviors (B'). After instruction was provided and family-style meals were reintroduced, resident participation rose to 65% of tasks and appropriate communication increased to 18% of observations. This study suggests family-style meals may result in modest increases in mealtime participation and communication of residents with dementia, but staff training in prompting and praising may be necessary to see large changes in these behaviors.

PURPOSE:Well meaning nursing facility staff may compromise the independence of older adults with dementia by performing activities of daily living for residents. We assessed the impact of teaching certified nursing assistants (CNAs) to use a graduated prompting procedure to increase dressing independence of persons with dementia.DESIGN AND METHODS:This study was conducted in a seven-bed dementia care unit. Three residents and two CNAs participated in the study. We used a repeated-measures experimental design to evaluate the effect of a training workshop for CNAs on a strategy for increasing resident engagement in self-care activities.RESULTS:During a series of baseline observations, we found that CNAs typically dressed residents with minimal resident involvement. Results showed that, following the training workshop for CNAs, resident independence in dressing increased and range of motion improved.IMPLICATIONS:CNAs can provide restorative care that increases dressing independence and range of motion of older adults with dementia.

Family members who wish to have their older relatives live with them often encounter obstacles that make such an arrangement unworkable. Proponents of the Elder Cottage, and its variant, the Homecare Suite, suggest that many of these obstacles can be avoided with Elder Cottage use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of Elder Cottages on a variety of resident and host outcomes. A nonequivalent comparison group design was used. Thirty-one treatment group residents and their hosts received Elder Cottages whereas 24 comparison group residents and their hosts remained on a waiting list. Results showed that residents using Elder Cottages reported significantly greater satisfaction with their housing, increased independence, more telephone contacts with friends and family, improved relationships with hosts, more accessible housing, and less formal service use than those in the comparison group. Similarly, hosts in the treatment group reported significantly greater satisfaction with the residents' housing and less stress in their caregiving roles than those in the comparison group. In addition, fewer Elder Cottage hosts than comparison group hosts engaged in caregiver-related driving. Answers to short-answer questions mirrored the quantitative findings. These results provide substantial optimism with respect to the Elder Cottage as a housing option for older adults, although interviews with housing specialists suggested that families will need financial and caregiving assistance for this option to be viable.

This study examined the satisfaction of rural seniors with two types of group living situations: housing co-ops and congregate apartments. Previous research has suggested that co-op members are more satisfied with their living situation than residents of other types of housing due to the participatory nature of cooperative living. The purpose of this study was to see if co-op members, who own and manage their own housing, would report greater benefits and higher levels of satisfaction with their housing than congregate apartment tenants whose housing is not resident-owned or managed. Residents of three housing co-ops and two congregate apartment facilities in small midwestern towns responded to a questionnaire broken into four areas: satisfaction with housing; impact of housing on well-being; social and governmental opportunities; and monetary benefits. Results suggested that: (1) both groups of respondents were satisfied with their housing situation; (2) both types of housing had a positive impact on residents' well-being; (3) both types of housing provided social and governmental opportunities; and (4) both types of housing provided monetary benefits. No significant differences were found between the two groups of residents except in the area of monetary benefits, with significantly more congregate apartment residents reporting that their facility provided monetary benefits. This study suggests that while senior housing co-ops are well-liked by their members, having ownership and managerial control may not be necessary for seniors to be satisfied with, and reap benefits from, their housing situation.

Wandering away from home, or elopement, is a behavior that places persons with dementia at risk of serious injury and may lead family caregivers to place their loved ones in institutions or to severely restrict their independence. Funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) was used to evaluate the Mobile Locater, an electronic device designed to help caregivers quickly locate a person who has eloped. This 6-month pilot study included case studies of seven users and an opinion survey of family caregivers, professional caregivers and search and rescue workers. The survey results showed that respondents were positively impressed by the device, only identifying cost as a potential drawback. Case studies revealed that the equipment was easy to use, effective, and helpful to caregivers' peace of mind. These results suggest that the Mobile Locater is a valuable tool deserving of further study.

Malnutrition is a problem experienced by an estimated 4.9 million older adults in the United States. This paper provides an overview of the problem of malnutrition, a brief review of successful interventions that report successful outcomes, and a description of the features that might be included in a comprehensive initiative designed to combat malnutrition of elders living in the community.

We surveyed 252 homeowners in three midwestern cities about their satisfaction with intergenerational homesharing, using a 21-question survey with 5 satisfaction-with-life dimensions. The purpose of this study was to see if homeowners would report changes in these satisfaction dimensions as a result of taking part in homesharing. An additional purpose was to see if there were age differences, gender differences, and length-of-match differences in satisfaction. Across the five satisfaction dimensions of the survey, 94% of the responses indicated that older participants' lives had either stayed the same or improved due to involvement in intergenerational homesharing. Results suggest that younger homeowners (ages 50 to 69) reaped more financial benefits from homesharing, probably because the purpose of their homesharing match was for the collection of rent. Older homeowners (age 70 and older), who are more likely to be looking for companionship and assistance, reported significantly greater satisfaction than younger homeowners in the dimensions of health, well-being and social activities. Males reported being significantly better off than females in the areas of well-being and health. No differences based on length of homesharing match were found. These data are generally consistent with previous survey work conducted on intergenerational homesharing, suggesting that homesharing is a viable housing option for older homeowners. Given that verbal reports may not be consistent with behavior, the collection of direct observation outcome data on homesharing is recommended for future research on homesharing.

Four families participated in a pilot test of the Homecare Suite-a private, fully accessible, modular apartment for elders that can be temporarily installed in the garage of a family caregiver's home. Each family took part in at least two in-depth interviews before and during their use of the Homecare Suite. Results showed that the users and caregivers were satisfied with the Homecare Suite and preferred it to alternatives for reasons including increased peace of mind, ease of providing care, accessibility, privacy, and cost. This study suggests that the Homecare Suite is deserving of further study as a long-term care option.

First we had Walden Two. Skinner (1948) imagined everyday people joining a behaviorally-engineered community because it satisfies their needs more completely than the communities they come from. This vision represents the idealism associated with radical behaviorism in its early days. Now we have Walden Three. Ruben Ardila (1990) imagines a military dictator imposing a behaviorally­ engineered culture by force. Walden Three might easily be taken for anti­ behaviorist satire except that Ardila is a widely respected behavior analyst from Columbia, South America. Perhaps Ardila is warning us about what he sees as disturbing or even ominous trends in behavior analysis.

In Walden Two, B. F. Skinner offered a cultural design that has intrigued behavior analysts and other thoughtful individuals far over forty years. Some experimental attempts to implement the technologies in the real world have occurred, but clearly the effects until now have been circumscribed, and behavior analysis is in short-term danger of becoming a specialized technology for dealing with a narrow range of human problems. Skinner himself, and others, have examined reasons for the limited impact of Walden Two on the overall culture. Perhaps the gap between the current socioculturel situation and that of Walden Two is too large to leap all at once. While Frazier’s argument that separation from the mainstream is essential may ultimately prove true, at this point very few individuals have emitted the requisite behaviors, leaving behind family, career, and economic independence far a promised land of perpetual reinforcement Three initial approaches are explored in this fictional account, each of which, building on stimulus equivalence, resembles existing cultural institutions to some extent, but may have potential for bringing Skinner’s technology more broadly into daily life.