I Can’t if I Don’t Know How

B. F. Skinner, Humanism, ABA and Promoting Freedom

By: Bobby Newman

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Applied Behavior Analysis, the science that grew from B. F. Skinner's philosophy of Radical Behaviorism, has been as misunderstood as its founder. Often called anti-humanistic or somehow taking away freedom and autonomy, Applied Behavior Analysis is actually the polar opposite of its mischaracterizations. In I Can’t if I Don’t Know How:
B. F. Skinner, Humanism, ABA and Promoting Freedom, psychologist and BCBA Dr. Bobby Newman carefully examines the history of Applied Behavior Analysis and Skinner's writings. Combining these writings with personal stories from his career, Dr. Newman paints Applied Behavior Analysis in a new light, firmly planting it in the Humanistic tradition where it belongs. Far from removing freedom and autonomy, Dr. Newman shows how Applied Behavior Analysis actually increases freedom and autonomy.

Fan or foe of ABA? This book is for you

This book did an excellent job at providing insight to many common issues in the field of ABA and gave a good introduction to the foundational theories and ethics of the field. Highly recommend this book to anyone who believes that ABA is “inhumane” or “abusive” because it explains the misunderstanding that frames those beliefs very well in my opinion. I also recommend this book to anyone new to the field of ABA and anyone interested in the science of behavior