Alan E. Kazdin Publishes “Behavior Change in Applied Settings” (8th edition)
Last month Koerner Fellow Alan E. Kazdin published his newest book, Behavior Change in Applied Settings (8th ed.). The book provides an introduction to behavioral, cognitive, and social psychological interventions that can be used to change human behavior. Much of everyday life focuses on changing human behavior, as evident in child rearing, education, productivity and safety at work, law and social policy, military training, athletic performance, among other areas. The techniques have been implemented in such settings as the home, schools (from preschools through university levels), hospitals, businesses, the community, and other places in daily life where individuals live, work, and play. Examples illustrate application in multiple contexts including personal health (e.g., exercising, eating healthful foods), interpersonal interaction (e.g., socializing and bullying), mental health and well-being (e.g., treating anxiety, minimizing stress), climate change (e.g., recycling, using less fossil fuel), and sports (e.g., amateur and professional athletics). The book is intended to achieve a balance of principles, techniques, and practical guides all addressing the overarching question, how do we change and develop human behavior? The techniques to answer these questions have been thoroughly researched and convey how and why many techniques in everyday life (e.g., reprimanding, spanking, reasoning with others) are unreliable ways of changing behavior. The book, which has been used as a university textbook in previous editions includes many instructor and student aides such as exam questions in diverse formats, summaries of key points, detailed examples for implementing the techniques, a glossary, and a term-long, behavior-change project in which students apply the substantive content and empirically evaluate the results.
Alan E. Kazdin is Sterling Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Child Psychiatry at Yale University. Before coming to Yale, he served on the faculty of the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. At Yale, he has been chair of the Psychology department, director and chair of the Yale Child Study Center at the School of Medicine, director of Child Psychiatric Services at Yale New Haven Hospital, director of the Yale Parenting Center, and chair of the Yale University Press Publications Committee. His current research focuses on world mental health and the large-scale extensions of treatment of mental disorders. His 850+ publications include 52 books that focus on research methodology; treatments of mental health problems for children, adolescents, and adults; parenting and child rearing; and interpersonal violence. His work on parenting and childrearing has been featured on NPR, PBS, BBC, and CNN, and he has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, ABC News, 20/20, and Dr. Phil. In 2008 he was president of the American Psychological Association.