Association for Behavior Analysis International

The climate crisis challenges all of us to step up our sustainability efforts as soon as possible: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urges that global greenhouse gas emissions be cut by nearly 50% by 2030. How can we best accomplish change using behavior-analytic principles? High-profile studies by the American Psychological Association have found that two of the major behavioral barriers to more individual climate action are the motivation challenge of futility, and the transition challenge from old wasteful habits to green ones (e.g., the influential 2009 report from the Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change). Both of these are areas where behavior analysis can provide major contributions. How can we build on what we have already accomplished in climate action, and transfer what has worked in our related areas of strength? Each of the panelists is experienced in behavioral sustainability, and will offer a few suggestions. Opening the floor to the audience, we will attempt to put together a plan of action.

All

The role of human behavior in climate change is well established—as is the core mission of behavior analysis—to impact behavior of social significance. Despite overwhelming evidence, an exhaustive review of the literature has shown that only a small portion of the published research topically related to climate change included an experimental evaluation of strategies to reduce emissions-producing behavior. Even if, “we reduce GHG emissions...consequences for people and their livelihoods will still be challenging but potentially more manageable…” (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2019 p.1). These findings call for effective, scalable strategies for impacting climate-relevant policy and behavior at all levels of community and organization. The promise of behavior analysis can be realized through unified mobilization of our efforts. This talk will provide overview of a strategic plan for greatly increasing collaborative efforts within and across behavioral science organizations. Actions that ABAI members can take as researchers, practitioners, and citizens will be pinpointed and listeners can identify how they might contribute to these efforts in collaboration with the task force. A subsequent symposium and panels will give additional insight into the efforts of the Climate Change Task Force for a coalition of behavior science organizations.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

The first presentation will give an integrated analysis of behavioral science research on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. The second presentation will provide an overview of the research programs, organizations providing funding, and community interventions that have been compiled by the Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations Climate Change Task Force. The third presentation will provide an overview of the resources required to accomplish the goals of the task force and how to expand the efforts.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Holly Seniuk, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA is the Ethics Disciplinary Manager at the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Dr. Seniuk graduated with her doctorate from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2013 under the mentorship of Dr. Larry Williams and has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2010. Dr. Seniuk has previously worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton where she developed an undergraduate level behavior analysis program and as the Project Coordinator for the Nevada PBIS Technical Assistance Center, working on the Facility-Wide PBIS Project providing behavioral systems support to residential juvenile corrections and youth mental health facilities as well as youth parole. She has over 13 years of experience working in a variety of clinical settings including early intervention, schools, mental health, and intellectual disabilities. Dr. Seniuk has served on numerous boards and committees including the Nevada Association for Behavior Analysis, Atlantic Provinces Association for Behavior Analysis, Behaviorists for Social Responsibility, and the Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations Climate Change Task Force.

Andrew is a doctoral student in behavior analysis at the University of Florida. He is also a member of the Behavior Sciences Coalition Climate Change Task Force. His primary research interests are in the areas of developing community interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emission. To that end, he evaluates the determinants for pro-environmental behavior at the individual level, develops interventions, and then evaluates their effects always with an eye toward scalability and widespread adoption.

This panel will serve as a follow-up to the previous events on “A Strategic Plan for Expanding Behavioral Science Research on Climate Change”. It is the first of a two panel discussion on coordinating efforts of the behavior science community to increase research and community intervention to reduce carbon emissions. This panel includes experts from the fields of prevention science, clinical psychology, environmental education, and behavior analysis. The panelists will discuss coordinating efforts of individuals with diverse expertise in the development, execution, and data analysis of interdisciplinary sustainability research and make suggestions for immediate and pragmatic actions at the individual, community and societal levels. Audience members will have the opportunity to participate in real-time work to expand and scale up research and application needed in this area. We invite participants to dialogue and identify the opportunities and barriers to doing this work and commit to taking actions to increase the contributions of the behavior analysis community toward mitigating the effects of climate change.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Jessica Ghai, M.Ed. BCBA, LABA(MA) is a doctoral candidate at the Boston University: Wheelock College of Education and Human Development (anticipated completion: Spring 2020) and a Volunteer Coordinator for the Behavioral Science Coalition: Climate Change Task Force. In additional to extensive teaching experience and animal-related dissertation research, Jessica’s academic background includes a B.S. in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University: College of Food, Agriculture, and Environment Sciences. Following completion of her doctoral program, she hopes to pursue a career in research. Research interests include: human-animal interactions through a behavior analytic lens, animal well-being and management of maladaptive behaviors in zoological settings, visitation behaviors of patrons at zoological facilities, and the effectiveness of behavior change interventions related to species biodiversity and conservation of natural resources. Jessica also volunteers as a keeper’s aide at a zoological facility and is a member of ABAI’s Applied Animal Behavior SIG. 

An extension of the panel on “Coordinating Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research”, this panel is composed of experts in behavior analysis who will share perspectives on coordination and outreach, research institutions and foundations, and collaboration with others to design community-level interventions to curb the effects of greenhouse gases. This panel aims to foster an open dialogue on how the behavioral community can move this work forward through addressing complex questions, sharing new ideas, and collaborative problem-solving. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists and offer ideas for collaboration and expansion of the work of the task force. We invite participants to lean in to the complex nature of behavioral science work on climate change and explore new relationships and collaborations that build a community of researchers, practitioners, and activists that are committed to the health and long term survival of our planet and the important role that behavior science plays in making that happen.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.