Question

How can behavior analysts increase their sensitivity families? what can be said about group behavior?

Answer 1

I'm guessing the question reads "How can Behavior analysts increase their sensitivity IN families..."  

Let's understand the process of first-Behavior analysis is the process of identifying target behaviors and changing them. It follows the A-B-C method, where through a functional behavior checklist, the Antecedents to the Behavior, the Behavior Details, and the Consequence of the behavior are listed. For increasing sensitivity in families, the behavior may be broken down into empirically verifiable sub-behaviors such as 'saying thank you, sorry and please when appropriate', 'or being open to listening what the other person is saying' and the like. Interventions and reinforcers can be set accordingly. The same would apply to a group setting, with the exception being that the situations would have to be artificially created through a role play. All this requires some personal awareness and awareness of the situation that the family or group is undergoing.

For increasing personal sensitivity in families and group behavior, as Skinner rightly points out, it's important for behavior analysts to be culturally and personally aware of their own thoughts, feelings, motives, biases as well as be aware of the differences that culture brings with respect to the appropriateness of behaviors. Any mismatch with respect to the behavior which the group/family feels important for change will not lead to effective interventions.

Therefore, the following steps to increase the analyst's personal sensitivity would be useful:

1. Become more self-aware, take help if needed for the same.

2. Become more culturally aware by reading, exposing and interacting with people different from you-could be by language, location, etc.

3. Understand that certain expressions of language and behaviors may be perceived differently across cultures-to make a note of that during the assessment stage and formulation of interventions.