Editorial on being beholden to other professions.

Abstract

Behavior analysis continues to struggle with professional recognition. This occurs contrary to the mounting research evidence that shows behavior analysis to be the treatment of choice for a variety of problems. One population in particular that behavior analytic studies have shown success with is in lowering recidivism of offenders. Keywords: Behavior analysis, professional recognition, recidivism, offenders ********** A recent meta-analytic article, looking a program impact for offender populations, found that Behavior Therapy (operant and respondent conditioning principles, antecedent control strategies, self-control training, etc.) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy were the only two treatments that produced an effect (Redondo-Illescas, Sanchez-Meca, & Garrido-Genovaes, 2001). These two interventions lead to a 12-15% decrease in recidivism over a two years post treatment. All the other interventions produced effects substantially much lower including therapeutic communities, non-behavioral treatments, dissuasion, and diversion programs. With crime so out of control across this nation, it would seem that a call for action for behavioral programs in prison would be one of the top public out cries but it is not. Part of the reason for this is that behavioral programs have received a great deal of bad press in the treatment communities and are often beholden to other professions in the community. For example, behavior analysts might work under nurses or psychiatrists in the hospital. This has an effect on the behavior targeted for intervention programs. Take for example the literature by behavior analysts on token systems in the institutions in the 1970s. The whole body of literature was on focused on building behaviors- a constructional view (Golddiamond, 1974), with patients setting goals and interventions directed toward community living on the outside (Atthowe, 1973; Bassett, Blanchard, & Koshland, 1975; Milby, Pendergrass, & Clarke, 1973; Fairweather, Sanders, Cresseler, & Maynard, 1969; Rybolt, 1975; Swartz & Bellack, 1975). Yet, when Page, Caron, & Yates (1975) did their famous survey of token systems they found that out of 280 programs surveyed almost all token systems were co-opted to just enforce nursing routines. This is the problem when one field is beholden to another. Being beholden to other professions is harmful or at least not in the consumer's best interest. The tools of behavior analysts become secondary to helping the other profession achieving its professional goals. Thus, instead of building behaviors that would prevent rehospitalization, the behavior analyst find himself or herself designing programs focused solely on getting the client to take medication and comply with hospital routines. …