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| SQAB Tutorial: Quantifying Diversity and Inclusion in Behavior Analysis |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 3:00 PM–3:50 PM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 140 A |
| Area: SCI; Domain: Service Delivery |
| BACB/QABA/NASP/IBAO CE Offered. CE Instructor: Shrinidhi Subramaniam, Ph.D. |
| Chair: Shawn Patrick Gilroy (Louisiana State University) |
| Presenting Authors: : SHRINIDHI SUBRAMANIAM (California State University, Stanislaus), LIZ KYONKA (California State University - East Bay) |
| Abstract: Our scientific community has an ethical imperative to broaden participation in behavior analysis research. Analyzing demographic information can provide an empirical foundation for understanding and promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Historically, behavior analysts have focused on easily identifiable characteristics such as gender and geographic location (inferred from institutional affiliation), relying on self/caregiver-reports or assignment by inference from human observers. These approaches have produced valuable insights into who participates in behavior analysis, but they can be prone to observer and selection biases. Recently, researchers in fields like neuroscience have begun using application programming interfaces (APIs) to estimate gender and race proportions by comparing names to public datasets. While probabilistic methods have limitations, they offer a consistent and scalable way to measure diversity. This presentation will address key ethical considerations when collecting and reporting data related to the participation of people from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups. We will evaluate various methods used by behavior analysts to assess participation, highlighting their strengths and limitations. We will cover ethical considerations associated with reporting identity-based information and explore trends in representation of women to illustrate changes in the field over time. We aim to provide insights into progress and persistent gaps, setting the stage for a discussion on alternative approaches to measuring diversity. By the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to explain why they report information about identity characteristics and employ inclusive data collection practices that align with their goals. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Target Audience: Behavior analysis practitioners, researchers, students |
Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize ethical issues in assessing and reporting identity-based information
2. Evaluate methods for assessing participation by women and international authors used by behavior analysts
3. Describe changes in participation in behavior analysis over time
4. Consider alternative methods for measuring and reporting the diversity in different groups |
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| SHRINIDHI SUBRAMANIAM (California State University, Stanislaus), LIZ KYONKA (California State University - East Bay) |
 Dr. Shrinidhi Subramaniam is an Associate Professor in Psychology at California State University, Stanislaus and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Subramaniam received her PhD in Psychology from West Virginia University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral pharmacology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She teaches courses in applied behavior analysis, research methods, ethics, and addiction treatment, and mentors graduate students in their thesis research. Dr. Subramaniam’s research applies behavior analytic principles to solve problems like addiction, unemployment, and poverty in her community. Currently, she is the co-PI for Wellness WORKs!, a holistic health education program for CalWORKs participants in San Joaquin County, California. In addition to this work, she has published over 20 manuscripts and chapters across broad research interests. These publications include clinical studies evaluating the effectiveness of behavioral interventions like incentives and education, and basic and translational studies exploring processes underlying human decision making such as choice and temporal learning. Dr. Subramaniam is on editorial boards for The Psychological Record, the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and Learning and Behavior, and serves as the Board Secretary of the Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior. She was the Association for Behavior Analysis, International’s 2022 recipient of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences Early Career Impact Award. |
 Liz Kyonka is an Associate Professor of Psychology at California State University, East Bay, the most diverse campus in the CSU system. East Bay’s commitment to diversity has earned numerous accolades, including the HEED Award for excellence in inclusion and the 2024 Seal of Excelencia for serving Latine/x and other student communities. Dr. Kyonka’s experience working with such a vibrant student body has shaped her metacritical approach to behavior analysis, emphasizing social justice and the study of structural barriers that limit participation in the scientific community. As a dedicated advocate for inclusion, she strives to create learning and research environments that promote access and equity.
Dr. Kyonka’s research employs human operant approaches and quantitative modeling to investigate timing, probabilistic choice, and strategy learning, as well as functional relations involved in internet use and problem technology use, with a focus on advancing health equity. She has served as Associate Editor for several leading behavior analysis journals, including The Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and The Psychological Record. Additionally, she has been an active contributor to the Association for Behavior Analysis International, serving as Program Coordinator for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior program area and as a member of the Science Board. She has also been involved with the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior since 2004, serving as Secretary from 2010 to 2014.
For more information, visit her laboratory’s website at qablab.com. |
| Keyword(s): SQAB |
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