Equity and Diversity in Behavior Analysis: Lessons From Skinner (1945)

Several authors have written about the disparity between our values statements concerning gender equity and diversity and the behavior of our professional organizations. In this article, I argue that this is a predictable by-product of our collective cultural learning histories, that we have access to the variables that must be manipulated to alter this behavioral trajectory, and that now is the time to apply the principles of behavior toward changing our current repertoire. As a case in point, I provide evidence regarding the current state of the efforts within psychology and behavior analysis to ensure gender equity, and end with a series of recommendations for institutions and individual leaders to enact toward the presumably valued outcomes of equity and, more broadly speaking, diversity.