Abstract
The United States is currently engaged in a wide-scale social experiment: the dismantling of entitlement programs in the name of welfare reform. While behavior and cultural analysts have been only minimally involved in these efforts, there are many contributions that they might make that could potentially improve aggregate outcomes for everyone involved, including poor children, their parents, and the larger society. Both technical and social justice issues, all embedded in interlocking cultural contingencies, need to be included in an effective analysis. Many current experiments are grounded in rationales inconsistent with the science of behavior, and many are not being adequately evaluated. This paper outlines steps that behavior and cultural analysts could take that could contribute meaningfully to improved sociocultural outcomes.
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Mattaini, M.A. Reforming Welfare Reform. Behav. Soc. Iss. 8, 141–148 (1998). https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v8i2.325
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v8i2.325