The Consummate Skinnerian: Remembering Jack Michael

Abstract

Go ask Jack." That was the advice often given in hallways at conferences and elsewhere. Jack Michael was our go-to person in behavior analysis for decades. The solution to complex quandaries could be found by just spending a few minutes with Jack, which he usually seized as a teaching opportunity. Teaching was Jack's passion and primary activity throughout his long professional career. His focus was mainly on B. F. Skinner's body of works. Jack's goal as a teacher was for his students to be able to analyze behavior in the same manner that Skinner analyzed behavior. A common mand from Jack to a student was "What would Skinner say?" In a recent interview with Jack, he said, "I was willing to dedicate my life to teaching Skinner, which I pretty much did, and I was quite satisfied with that" (Esch et al., 2017, p. 273).Jack taught his students how to use the concepts and principles of behavior analysis to think critically about behavioral events. He insisted on precision when talking about behavior. If a student's answer drifted too far in a cognitive direction, a "BAH!" could be found in the margin along with a possible point loss. Jack diligently prepared each class unit and lecture period, using a modified version of Keller's (1968) personalized system of instruction (Michael, 1991). At the core of Jack's classes were his weekly study objectives covering the reading material and his lectures. Students were expected to master the answers to dozens of detailed objectives and demonstrate that mastery on a lengthy essay exam. If a student failed to obtain a satisfactory grade, an equally lengthy remedial exam could be taken in an attempt to improve that grade. Students knew Jack's classes were hard and required a major time commitment, and sometimes they delayed taking them. But after completing one of his classes, most students were proud of their newfound grasp of behavior analysis and their ability to apply what they had learned. This was especially the case after students took his verbal behavior class.Jack was easily accessible to students. In addition to informal access, he maintained formal office hours where students could ask him or his graduate assistants questionsThe Analysis of Verbal Behavior