The 10 Best Pop-Culture Video Clips Demonstrating Behavioral Principles

By Emaley McColloch, M.Ed, BCBA

bSci21 Contributing Writer

Have you ever come across an example of a behavior-change principle while watching one of your favorite movies or TV shows? Hollywood doesn’t often get it right, but these video clips can be useful to demonstrate or promote discussions about behavioral principles and strategies. 

1. Big Bang Theory- Sheldon Trains Penny with Operant Conditioning/Positive Reinforcement/Shaping
2. Big Bang Theory ALMOST gets punishment and negative reinforcement right.
3. The Office – Jim trains Dwight with Classical Conditioning 
4. Everybody Loves Raymond – The Importance of Preference Assessments 
5. Seinfeld – Soup Nazi punishment
6. Fun Theory – Reinforcement/pairing
7. Darren Brown Trick or Treat – Superstition Behavior
8. Friends – Phoebe uses punishment/conditioning to “help” Rachel get over Ross.  (start at 1:20)
9. Dangerous Minds – Classroom management
10. How to Train your Dragon – Pairing 

Do you know of any other videos from pop-culture to add to this list?  Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to bSci21 to receive the latest articles directly to your inbox!

Also be sure to check out Emaley’s popular article “You Know You Are A Behavior Analyst When…”

Emaley McCulloch, M.Ed, BCBA co-founded Autism Training Solutions, LLC in  2008, and is currently the Vice President of Relias Institute at Relias Learning. Relias Learning is the premier provider of online health care training for Health and Human Services, Senior Care and Public Safety. Emaley is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds an MA in Special Education. She has served in the field of ABA for over 18 years and has provided and overseen services to individuals between the ages of 18 months to 24 years in homes, schools and clinical settings. For eight years she served as a consultant and supervisor at agencies based in Hawaii and Japan where she trained groups of professionals and parents. Emaley’s passion is elearning, staff training, dissemination of evidenced-based interventions, research, film and videography and using technology in the field of behavior analysis and special education.  You can contact her at [email protected].