Joseph J. Pear
University of Manitoba
Joseph J. Pear received a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from The Ohio State University. He is currently a professor of psychology at the University of Manitoba. Pear has done basic and applied research and is a fellow of Division 6 (Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology) and Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of the American Psychological Association. Pear’s early basic research was with rats and pigeons. Currently, he is conducting research with fish using a tracking system he developed. His best-known basic research deals with behavioral contrast, shaping, and the spatio-temporal analysis of behavior. His early applied work focused on children with developmental disabilities at the St. Amant Centre, where he founded the Behaviour Modification Unit, now the Psychology Department. In 2009, he received an award for Outstanding Contribution to Behavior Analysis in Manitoba from the Manitoba Association for Behavior Analysis. Pear also developed an instructional and research program called Computer-Aided Personal System of Instruction (CAPSI). In addition to co-authoring Behavior Modification: What It Is and How to Do It with Garry Martin, Pear has written two other books: The Science of Learning and A Historical and Contemporary Look at Psychological Systems.