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| Advances in Behavior Analysis in Sport and Physical Activity: Dance, Football, Golf, and Wearable Technology |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 3:00 PM–4:50 PM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 151 AB |
| Area: CSS; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Brianna M. Anderson (Brock University) |
| Discussant: Raymond G. Miltenberger (University of South Florida) |
| CE Instructor: Julie Koudys, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: The science of behavior analysis has the potential to make meaningful improvements in health, leisure, and sport-performance behaviours. However, research and practice in these areas lag far behind more traditional areas, such as developmental disabilities and autism. These gaps limit the scope of practitioner competence, as well as ABA applications. This symposium explores how applied behavior analysis (ABA) may be used to support leisure skill development, and optimize performance, in areas such as football, golf, and dance. Further, advances in the use of smartphones and wearable technology to enhance physical activity will be described. Through a combination of methodologies, including a scoping review, applied and translational research, and service delivery descriptions, this symposium will demonstrate how ABA may be used to optimize health and performance across a variety of populations, including neurodiverse children, members of the general population, and amateur and professional athletes. This symposium will highlight possibilities for future research and practice in innovative areas of sport and physical activity. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): performance, physical activity, sports, wearable technology |
| Target Audience: Researchers and practitioners interested in diverse applications of behavior analysis; Basic. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe applications of ABA in physical/leisure activities and high-performance sports
2. Describe which types and how smartphones and wearable technology are used to enhance physical activity
3. Develop an awareness of research and practice opportunities using ABA to support sport performance and physical activity |
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| Blending of Dance and Behavior Analysis to Teach Motor Skills to Neurodiverse Children |
| (Applied Research) |
| TRICIA CORINNE VAUSE (Brock University), Brianna M. Anderson (Brock University), Kelsey Piche (Brock University), Linda Morrice (Pathstone Mental Health), Sarah Davis (Brock University), Priscilla Burnham Riosa (Brock University) |
| Abstract: Neurodiverse children often experience socio-emotional and behavioral challenges that limit their opportunities to participate in recreational physical activities. Yet, these activities are often key contributors to the development of motor skills and, overall, maintaining good physical health. The present study used a pre-post experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of Dance with a B-E-A-T! (Behavior Analysis and Therapy), a program combining recreational dance with applied behavior analysis (e.g., prompting, modeling, reinforcement), to teach three dance sequences to five school-age neurodiverse children with varying diagnoses such as ADHD, ODD, and learning challenges. A 12-session, six-week program was directly embedded into day treatment. Using Dance with a B-E-A-T, participants were taught a traditional kick-ball-change sequence, and two dance sequences derived from TikTok. Results showed that the mean percentage of motor steps correctly completed increased from a combined average of 31.5% (range = 18.9-52.0%) to 61.4% (range = 53.3-72.0%) for all three dance sequences, with the two TikTok dance sequences reaching statistical significance (p < .05). Overall, the day program staff reported high consumer satisfaction with the program. |
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| Football Behavior: How Applied Behavior Analysis Makes Players and Teams
Better |
| (Service Delivery) |
| BRETT YARRIS (10512) |
| Abstract: This symposium presentation highlights the ongoing work of Brett Yarris in applying behavior analysis to football, focusing on the behavioral contingencies that drive performance at the NFL level. Yarris' approach, rooted in over a decade of work with NFL players and coaches, reveals how behavior science principles can predict and shape performance in football. Drawing from his expertise, Yarris explains how executives, coaches, and players interact within constructed performance environments, where stimulus-response-stimulus (S-R-S) contingencies influence decision-making and in-game behavior. Specific examples include how coaches shape player development through reinforcement and how players adjust based on performance feedback during practice and games. By framing football strategy
through the lens of behavior science, Yarris provides those involved in the science of applied behavior analysis with innovative methodologies for understanding team dynamics, individual performance, and environmental control. This presentation offers a fresh perspective on the predictive power of behavior science in sports, showcasing its potential for optimizing performance outcomes in professional football. |
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| Topography Versus Function: Behavior Analysis in Golf Settings |
| (Theory) |
| SCOTT A O'DONNELL (Temple University), Jack Spear (The Chicago School), Amanda Mahoney (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology), Antonio M. Harrison (Renaissance Behavior, LLC) |
| Abstract: With sparse behavior analytic golf research, a translational investigation was conducted utilizing a differential reinforcement procedure. Two amateur competing golfers hit shots with an 8-iron on an indoor golf simulator. A range-bound changing criterion design (RBCC) advanced mastery criteria to investigate the effect of incentives on accuracy at shorter distance goal conditions of 25 yd (22.86 m), 50 yd (45.72 m), and 75 yd (68.58 m) interspersed with baseline and probes to an out-of-range target at 200 yd (182.88 m). Participants earned gift cards at reduced distances by making three or four consecutive shots within a specified range (criteria). Accuracy was proxied during data analysis by subtracting remaining distance from the target distance (progress to target), allowing for comparisons of performance at different target distances. Results of the changing criterion design indicate immediate changes in progress to target corresponding with changes in target distance with few overlapping data points, suggesting a functional relation. Results of the differential reinforcement procedure indicated participant accuracy improved within conditions, but similar to the results of Skinner, regressed with infrequent reinforcement. Maximum 8-iron progress improved for one participant. Overall, the investigation exemplifies the unique role behavior analysts can serve to improve golfer performance. |
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