Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 1977 Fall;10(3):515–525. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1977.10-515

Self-control techniques of famous novelists1

Irving Wallace 1
PMCID: PMC1311220  PMID: 16795568

Abstract

A statement by a famous contemporary novelist is presented that indicates how he and others, independently of formal behaviorism, used behavioristic methods—specifically, self-recording charts and regularly scheduled daily work hours—to accelerate and maintain their writing outputs. On the basis of his statement and an analysis of his self-recorded data, it is argued that a meaningful and useful analogy can be drawn between writing a novel and emitting a simple operant response on a fixed-ratio schedule.

Keywords: self-control, self-recording, self-reinforcement, fixed-ratio schedules, novel writing, famous novelists

Full text

PDF
525

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ballard K. D., Glynn T. Behavioral self-management in story writing with elementary school children. J Appl Behav Anal. 1975 Winter;8(4):387–398. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1975.8-387. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brigham T. A., Graubard P. S., Stans A. Analysis of the effects of sequential reinforcement contingencies on aspects of composition. J Appl Behav Anal. 1972 Winter;5(4):421–429. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1972.5-421. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Broden M., Hall R. V., Mitts B. The effect of self-recording on the classroom behavior of two eighth-grade students. J Appl Behav Anal. 1971 Fall;4(3):191–199. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1971.4-191. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FINDLEY J. D., BRADY J. V. FACILITATION OF LARGE RATIO PERFORMANCE BY USE OF CONDITIONED REINFORCEMENT. J Exp Anal Behav. 1965 Mar;8:125–129. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1965.8-125. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Goldiamond I. Self-control procedures in personal behavior problems. Psychol Rep. 1965 Dec;17(3):851–868. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1965.17.3.851. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kelleher R. T. Fixed-ratio schedules of conditioned reinforcement with chimpanzees. J Exp Anal Behav. 1958 Aug;1(3):281–289. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1958.1-281. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lee J. K., Gollub L. R. Second-order schedules with fixed-ratio components: variation of component size. J Exp Anal Behav. 1971 May;15(3):303–310. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1971.15-303. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Maloney K. B., Hopkins B. L. The modification of sentence structure and its relationship to subjective judgements of creativity in writing. J Appl Behav Anal. 1973 Fall;6(3):425–433. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1973.6-425. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pryor K. W., Haag R., O'reilly J. The creative porpoise: training for novel behavior. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Jul;12(4):653–661. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-653. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Zeiler M. D. Time limits for completing fixed ratios. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Nov;14(3):275–286. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.14-275. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES