Discusses conceptions of writing that have developed since the nineteenth century and identifies five elements of written expression. Describes how behavioral techniques can be applied to various aspects of written expression, such as handwriting and grammatical skills, and examines the effects of negative criticism and forms of positive…

The observation and reporting should be a method for aiding the individual child to become aware of his own maturity in relation to definite clear-cut group goals. (GB)

The methodological aspects of the behavior analysis movement are often overlooked in favor of focusing on the powerful effects of rewards and punsihments used systematically in a behavior-modification paradigm. The methodological aspects are important for the topic of research on teaching because they create a situation where the teacher acts both…

The paper approaches criterion-referencing as a problem of validating tests for particular inferences about human behavior. Some definitions of the term "criterion-referenced" are reviewed, and the position is taken that direct inferences about what a test-taker can or cannot do--criterion-referenced inferences, that is--need not be restricted to…

Robert M. W. Travers's 1980 essay is the focal point of this paper. He argues that evaluation research requires a scientific taxonomy of human behavior and learning. Such a taxonomy must be experimentally based, mathematically expressed, theoretically sound, and predictive. He bases such criteria on the development of scientifically successful…