Countless societal problems are brought to our attention every day by the news media. Violence and drug abuse, highway crashes, epidemics such as obesity and bullying, untold numbers of medical errors, conflicts both geopolitical and intensely personal, and environmental degradation – particularly climate change – carry significant economic burdens. They all impose dehumanizing costs in terms of individual suffering and loss of life.

Human behavior contributes to each of these perplexing problems – but human behavior is also a critical part of the solution. For more than fifty years, applied behavioral scientists have helped people by developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to increase the occurrence of positive acts of caring and decrease the frequency of damaging behaviors.

Effective applications of applied behavioral science (ABS) generally follow the seven key principles described in this chapter. Each principle is broad enough to include a wide range of practical operations, but narrow enough to define the ABS approach to managing behaviors useful for promoting an AC4P movement (e.g., to benefit safety, health, work productivity, parenting, coaching, and environmental conservation and to optimize teaching and learning).

1. TARGET OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR

B. F. Skinner conceptualized and researched the behavioral science upon which the ABS approach is founded. Experimental behavior analysis and later applied behavior analysis emerged from Skinner's research and teaching, and laid the groundwork for numerous therapies and interventions to improve the quality of life among individuals, groups, and entire communities. Whether someone is working one-on-one in a clinical setting or with work teams throughout an organization, the intervention procedures always target specific behaviors relevant to promoting constructive change. Applied behavioral science focuses on what people do, analyzes why they do it, and then applies an evidence-based intervention to improve what they do.

Acting people into thinking differently is the focus. This contrasts with thinking people into acting differently, which targets internal awareness, intentions, or attitudes. Many clinical psychologists use the latter approach successfully in professional therapy sessions. But in group, organizational, or community-wide settings it's not cost-effective. To be effective, thinking-focused intervention requires extensive one-on-one interaction between a client and a trained intervention specialist.