Inside Behavior Analysis
Volume 1 | 2009 | Number 1
California ABA
By Hank Schlinger
The California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA) is dedicated to the science of behavior analysis and is committed to promoting research, education, and practice based on the principles of behavior analysis.
CalABA sponsors the top regional conference on behavior analysis in the United States, regularly features well-known researchers and clinicians from throughout the United States, and is the primary clearinghouse for research and training in behavior analysis in the Western United States. At our 2009 conference in Burlingame, CA (outside San Francisco), the featured presenters included Keith Allen, Jon Baily, Richard Foxx, Sigrid Glenn, Jim Johnston, Allen Neuringer, Ron Van Houten, and David Wacker, among others.
The 2010 conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, CA. from February 18-20, 2010.
CalABA was formed in 1998 when The Northern California Association for Behavior Analysis (NCABA) and the Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy/Southern California (ABAT/SC) joined together.
This year, CalABA passed two important milestones: both membership and conference registrants topped the 1,000 mark for the first time. Following the 2008 annual conference, CalABA boasted 946 members, but the membership increased to 1044 following the most recent conference in 2009. The total membership increased by 98; student membership increased by 69; certified membership increased by 61; and other categories decreased slightly or stayed the same. The annual CalABA conference continues to grow in popularity, with more than 1050 paid registrants at our most recent conference in 2009 (an increase of about 10% from the previous year).
CalABA also enjoys collaborative relationships with several other organizations. These include The B.F. Skinner Foundation which holds an auction of Skinner memorabilia at the CalABA annual conference, and recently began co-sponsoring a graduate research scholarship with CalABA; the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy which sent a delegate to our 2009 conference to learn about how CalABA manages its organization and conference; and the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis which has contracted to use some of CalABA's online conference submission and reviewing systems. Finally, CalABA co-conferenced with the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts at the 2009 conference.
CalABA is also dedicated to promoting the development of undergraduate and graduate students in behavior analysis. We accomplish this in a number of ways, including subsidizing membership and conference fees for students. In addition, Dr. Julie Vargas and the B. F. Skinner Foundation created the Julie Vargas Award to promote research by students in behavior analysis. This competitive award of $250 is presented to a CalABA member who has conducted original research in behavior analysis while enrolled as a student and who is not more than one calendar year past graduation. The award is given at our annual conference, and an abstract of the research is printed in the CalABA newsletter. The B. F. Skinner Foundation also sponsors a $500 scholarship to assist in funding graduate student-driven research. The award is given at our annual conference.
CalABA regularly has a poster at the ABAI Expo to inform others about CalABA and its upcoming conference.