Association for Behavior Analysis International

Behavior analysts working in the field of behavioral gerontology have massive potential to positively impact the lives of older adults in a number of domains. Despite this, behavioral interventions in aging are largely under-researched. The aim of this study was to expand the field of behavioral gerontology by developing a Relational Frame Theory (RFT) based intervention to target improved cognition and subjective outcomes for people with dementia. This pilot study incorporated a multi-component, pre-post intervention design. Three participants with dementia completed baseline and follow-up measures of cognitive flexibility (Ghent Odysseus Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure), cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Stroop Task, Controlled Oral Word Association Task), and subjective cognition (Cognitive Ability and Satisfaction Scales, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, Memory Functioning Scale), as well as interviews. The intervention consisted of a 4-8 week RFT- based computerized intervention. The results demonstrated pre-post intervention improvements for all participants on cognitive and subjective outcomes. Qualitative data provided further support for the quantitative results and suggested that the intervention was socially acceptable. Recommendations for future research are included.

Nowadays meta-analysis is the most used statistical method to synthesize the intervention outcome. It helps us to decide which intervention has shown more effectiveness for a specific diagnostic label. The traditional meta-analytical syntheses based on the comparison between groups are not sensitive to the learning processes that underlie intervention effectiveness, nor the functional relationship between behavioral problems and environmental variables. Heterogeneity between groups is assumed without a behavioral functional analysis. To overcome these important limitations since the 90s, single case design meta-analysis has been developed. The purpose of this theoretical poster is to analyze the single case design meta-analysis uses in applied behavior analysis. It could be used for analyzing the methodological quality of intervention designs, for procedure development and improvement, and to create comprehensive syntheses of the outcomes of behavioral interventions, which could help us to influence the health policies decision making.

Aversive control is an umbrella term for behavioral contingencies influenced by the removal or avoidance of aversive stimuli. When individuals are engaging in behavior that is under aversive control, the behavior becomes relatively insensitive to changes in the environment outside of trying to escape or avoid the aversive stimulation. Teaching individuals to increase behavioral and psychological flexibility around potentially aversive stimuli is a goal of a therapeutic perspective called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT therapists and trainers use values to motivate their clients to engage in meaningful behaviors despite ever-changing, and often aversive, contexts. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between participants’ psychological flexibility and fear of contamination at the time of the experiment and its relationship to approaching objects presented as contaminated (i.e. aversive). Participants were 200 undergraduate college students. Contrary to what was hypothesized, contamination fear was a significantly better predictor of approach behavior related to aversive objects than psychological flexibility, which was not significantly correlated with approach behavior. Theories about these findings will be presented and open for discussion.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) increases psychological flexibility by modifying one’s relationship with internal states to overcome challenges. Committed actions (CAs) are a key component of the ACT process, yet are rarely directly measured (e.g., self-monitoring). Indirect measures of mental and physical health outcomes (e.g., stress scales) are most often reported. This review examined the ACT literature that directly measured CAs in relation to changes in health outcomes. The terms “committed actions” and “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy” were entered in GoogleScholar and PsycINFO databases. Peer reviewed, experimental or quasi-experimental evaluations of ACT as the independent variable with CA outcomes were included. Case studies, those that focused on other ACT processes, and non-English articles were excluded. Of the articles that met the criteria (n = 5), four included indirect measures of beliefs about performing actions to overcome challenges and only one article directly measured overt behaviors. Two articles measured social validity, and one assessed maintenance post-ACT. Results suggest a lack of direct measurement of CAs in the ACT literature which may be directly related to changes in health outcomes. Future research should attempt to better understand how participants’ actions contribute to increased quality of life after ACT.

The purpose of this presentation is to present findings on the effectiveness of a visually-based breathing app on the reduction of anxiety and/or stress-related behaviors among three adolescents with social (pragmatic) communication disorders using wearable biomarker technology and behavioral observation measures. Two males and one female enrolled in a private therapeutic day school serving adolescents with social and emotional disabilities participated in this study. They were between the ages of 14 and 17 years old and came from diverse cultural backgrounds. Each participant engaged in a visually-based breathing activity either with tense notifications/alerts (condition 1) or without tense notifications/alerts (condition 2) prior to attending an academic class session. Data were collected on observable anxiety-related behaviors and breathing patterns as measured by a Spire Stone device across baseline and experimental conditions and were evaluated using an alternating treatments design. Although results were not significant, the visually-based breathing activity with no alerts/notifications seemed to be the most effective condition for increasing calm breathing patterns and reducing tense breathing patterns; however, more research is needed and implications for future research will be discussed.

This poster presentation will show results from a survey examining behavior analysts’ attitudes toward and perceptions of licensure versus certification in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Participants (N = 368) were Board Certified Behavior Analysts-Doctoral (13%), Board Certified Behavior Analysts (83%), and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (4%). Participants were recruited through state ABA associations within the United States through membership email listserves. Results from the survey demonstrated that the majority of participants believed that licensure would help protect clients from incompetent behavior analysts and that it would benefit the field of ABA by gaining power and prestige. Majority of participants also believed that holding a Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) credential should be enough requirements for state licensure and additional state requirements should not be imposed. Furthermore, participants believed that there should be reciprocity between states with licensure. Participants also identified drawbacks of licensure including an additional financial burden to behavior analysts due to fees, further paperwork, and further training requirements in some states beyond BACB credential. Additional results will be presented and future directions of considerations in licensure of behavior analysts will be discussed.