Child-focused behavioral assessment and modification

Argues that behavioral principles have been translated into practice with c hildren too literally and that a more integrative framework is required to guide assessment and treatment. The framework advocated is Staats's (1996) psychological behaviorism. This is a consistently behavioristic, positivist paradigm, using multilevel theory to emphasize the integration of social l earning, developmental, and personality principles. Psychological behaviori sm thus allows for a much more expansive approach than has typically been t he case within child behavior therapy. Given the complexity of this perspec tive, I selected four broad tenets of the theory and suggested their implic ations for clinical contexts. The further translation from clinical models to specific clinical practices is quite difficult but may yield more flexib le and substitutable practices than do unidimensional treatment outcome stu dies. Of special importance, the principles demonstrate how children themse lves can retain the central focus of child behavioral assessment and modifi cation. Specific practices still need to be constructed according to an und erstanding of the multiple sources of influence on children as well as the culture of childhood itself.