Vol. 3 No. 2 (2021): July - December 2021
Opinion article

Applied Behaviour Analysis between wealth and bad practice

Antonia Zamboli
Ricercatrice indipendente

Published 2021-11-02

Keywords

  • autism,
  • behavior,
  • treatment

How to Cite

Zamboli, A. (2021). Applied Behaviour Analysis between wealth and bad practice. Phenomena Journal - International Journal of Psychopathology, Neuroscience and Psychotherapy, 3(2), 140–150. https://doi.org/10.32069/PJ.2021.2.135

Abstract

Applied Behavior Analysis is a scientific discipline in which the principles of behavioral analysis are systematically applied to enhance socially significant behaviours. Clinical activity based on ABA shows the richness and extraordinary rates of success in the treatment of behavioral disorders. There is, however, much prejudice towards this discipline and this cognitive bias creates epistemological confusion towards ABA. Consequently, the wrong understanding of its leading principles generates an incorrect use of its techniques and fosters a negative and erroneous view of this discipline. Therefore, the focus of this study is to examine the potentials of this science, delving into the two fundamental principles on which it is based: reinforcement and punishment. Thus, bad practices resulting from the clinical community’s incorrect understanding and improper use of these two instruments will also be highlighted.

Keywords: autism, behavior, treatment.

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