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Self-control techniques of famous novelists
1Authors Guild and Authors League of America.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|October 1, 1977
Summary
Famous novelists, like behaviorists, used self-recording and schedules to boost writing output. Novel writing can be analogous to simple operant responses on a fixed-ratio schedule.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Creative Writing Studies
Background:
- Famous contemporary novelists independently employed behavioristic methods to enhance writing productivity.
- These methods included self-recording via charts and adhering to scheduled daily work hours.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the self-recorded data of a famous novelist.
- To draw an analogy between novel writing and operant conditioning principles.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a novelist's self-recorded data on writing output.
- Comparison of the novelist's methods to principles of behaviorism, specifically fixed-ratio schedules.
Main Results:
- The novelist's self-recorded data supported the use of behavioristic techniques for accelerating and maintaining writing output.
- A meaningful analogy was established between the act of writing a novel and emitting a simple operant response.
Conclusions:
- Behavioristic methods, such as self-monitoring and structured schedules, are effective for enhancing creative output.
- The process of novel writing can be understood through the lens of operant conditioning, particularly fixed-ratio reinforcement schedules.