Applied Behavioral Science Goes to Scale: A Review of Biglan’s The Nurture Effect

Abstract

Take Baer, Wolf, and Risley’s dimensions of behavior analysis (1968), sprinkle in Wolf’s social validity (1978), garnish with Hayes’ ACT (2004) while taking it to scale using Seekins and Fawcett’s recommendations (1989) and you get The Nurture Effect. If that’s not a recipe for a behavior analytic homerun, I clearly don’t understand behavior analysis. Anthony Biglan has cooked up this recipe—adding his own public health and prevention science zest—throughout his career. The resulting compendium of his work is impressive to any social scientist, public health advocate, or epidemiologist. It is thereby a treat to read Biglan’s account and views on the shaping of our culture and what must be done to turn degeneration around to a prosocial and healthy evolution. We have the science, the data, and the know-how to make big changes to our lives and our world. The Nurture Effect is perfect for inclusion in any survey level behavioral science course, and would make for a great resource in advanced courses on community interventions or behavioral systems. Likewise, this book is a strategic way to introduce someone to the field of behavioral science, if not ABA. (As I indicated at the beginning of this review, I will be suggesting that students hoping to pursue a career in our field share this book with their family and friends.) The accessible writing, colorful examples, and personal descriptions of behavioral science paint our field in a way we have not yet seen in a popular press book. If there are any regrets regarding the book, it is simply that “behavior analysis” was not specifically referenced. Outside of the terms “Association for Behavior Analysis” or “Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,” “behavior analysis” appears only once in the 226 pages of Biglan’s text. Moreover, Biglan references Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis only three times in the entire book. Counting the frequency of the term, “behavior analysis,” may seem petty, but the low occurrence is unfortunate, as a large and diverse audience will likely read this book. The Nurture Effect is nevertheless very supportive of behavior analysis—Biglan is a behavior analyst, after all—but naive readers won’t associate the content with this term. Nonetheless, Skinner advocated that we teach function before form (1957); hooking readers with the promise of behavioral success would be a fantastic outcome of The Nurture Effect. Only time will tell whether this outcome is realized. With The Nurture Effect, Biglan has provided the perfect primer for the rest of us to launch behavioral science beyond the pages of our safe and friendly behavioral journals. Let’s do our best—and our part, as behavior analysts—to nurture the momentum from this book to improve lives, as well as the world.