Behavior Modification and Methodology: A Developmental Perspective

Several of the current methodological problems for behavior modification research and practice are considered to be a direct outcome of recent developments of the field as a therapeutic educational endeavor. In order to highlight these problems, behavioral intervention strategies are considered across the sequential phases in the life cycle of a treatment method presented by Bachrach and Quigley (1966): case-study, comparative study, and follow-up study. Within each of these phases the types of treatment questions being asked are shown to be a prime factor in the kinds of methodological concerns which have arisen. These methodological concerns include those related to the selection of measuring instruments, design strategies, and implications for data analysis