Inside Behavior Analysis
Volume 1 | 2009 | Number 1
Health, Sport, & Fitness
By Marianne Jackson
The purpose of this SIG is to bring together behavior analysts with personal and/or professional interests in the areas of health, sport, and fitness. Activities of the SIG are aimed at highlighting, developing, and encouraging such interests. To this end, the SIG held its annual business meeting at the ABAI Conference in Phoenix. We also presented a poster at the EXPO highlighting current and future SIG activities and notified members of all presentations, posters, and other conference events related to the areas of health, sport, and fitness. In addition, the SIG sponsored a yoga class and a cardio-kickboxing class that occurred at the conference and were open to all conference attendees.
This year has seen some changes in the SIG Committee with a new chair, conference coordinator, and treasurer. We have implemented some changes in our Web site, communication methods, and membership information. Specifically the current Web site will soon be replaced with a new Web site that will be hosted by California State University and will be accessible through the ABAI Web site. It is hoped that the Web site will provide information on SIG committee members, current SIG related issues, member research projects, and upcoming events. It is expected that the new Web site will be completed by the end of summer 2009 and we will update the ABAI main Web site with this information as soon as it is available.
As of April 2009 the Health, Sport, and Fitness SIG has a Facebook fan site. To join, current Facebook users should go to the search box on the upper right of the page and type in "ABAI Health, Sport & Fitness SIG.” This will provide you with access to the fan site where you too can join and be a fan! For individuals who are not currently Facebook users, it is free, easy, and fast to sign up and if you only use it to access the fan site, you do not need to provide any personal information, other than name, email, gender and birth date. Information and photos can be added to the fan site page by sending them to the chair (information listed below). Specifically the fan site provides information about SIG events, a discussion forum where topics and responses can be posted, and a method for communicating with other fans either openly via the site, public wall postings, or individually and privately via the messaging system.
Upcoming projects include a survey to acquire more information about our members, their specific interests, and activities that they would like to see the SIG embrace. The SIG will also be re-introducing the student award for research related to the areas of health, sport, and fitness, which offers a cash prize to the winner. More information about this will follow as the time for submissions approaches. Proposed future conference activities include an open forum for presentation and discussion of current and future research areas and applications in this area.
All ABAI members may join the SIG by contacting the chair: Marianne Jackson, PhD, BCBA, at majackson@csufresno.edu or via our Facebook page.