Association for Behavior Analysis International

Any member with Masters-level training in behavioral science.

For many years authority figures in the science of behaviour analysis have attempted to place a spotlight on the conspicuous factors that have acted as impediments to the dissemination and utility of the strategies and interventions drawn from basic and applied science findings in this field. A number of these impediments have been empirically investigated and some have been described in relation to a misrepresentation of the science to the general public. Ongoing research shows that these impediments continue to present a significant challenge to researchers and practitioners specifically in the application of behaviour change procedures to those with developmental and intellectual disabilities. More importantly, ongoing impediments to dissemination and implementation of effective practices may prevent numerous individuals who may truly benefit from science-based behavioural methods to improve in many areas of their lives. This presentation addresses why behaviour analysis may still be considered a generic science and provides an analytical framework of science communication to bridge the gap between behaviour analysis findings and the public including education, health and social care sectors as well as stakeholders themselves. It will be argued that one of the most important elements of such a framework should ensure that a diversity of perspectives about the applications of behaviour analysis held by different groups are considered when solutions to the dissemination of behaviour analytic strategies are pursued.

Students of Behaviour Analysis, practitioners in the field of Behaviour Analysis, professionals interested in behavior change, researchers within the field of developmental disabilities and behavior change.

Implicit testing within behavior analysis has been a rather radical development over the past 15 years. Much of the early work was theoretically informed by Relational Frame Theory and progressed using a mixture of top-down and hypothetico-deductive approaches. Many test features and behavioral quantification methods were borrowed directly from the eponymous Implicit Association Test, and involved questionable social cognitive stimulus presentation and scoring methods. The Function Acquisition Speed Test (FAST), in contrast, was designed from the ground up in a painstaking research programme intended to expunge all mentalism from implicit testing, draw on well understood behavioral phenomena such as resistance to change, and use learning rates, rather than response time measures as a key dependent measure. It aims to enhance stimulus control in implicit testing, and clarify behavioral process. The FAST has uses in the analysis of stimulus relatedness in both social research and education settings, and might be used as a proxy for social attitudes, if attitudes are understood fully in functional terms. This talk will outline the behavior-analytic development of the FAST method for quantifying the relatedness of stimuli and “class strength,” and illustrate how the method can be used in a variety of novel social research contexts.

Postgraduate students and early career researchers

We face many societal challenges that require a group level response. Education and insight alone do not motivate behaviour change for individuals to support the group. Integrating techniques from Behaviour Analysis and Behavioural Economics has a lot to offer in terms of enhancing motivation towards behaviour for societal good. Behavioural Economics tells us that messages framed in terms of losses are more motivationally impactful than the equivalent messages framed in terms of gains. Adherence to guidelines that would be beneficial at the individual level (e.g., medication adherence) or societal level (e.g., climate change) can be low when people perceive the messaging as coercive, irrelevant or unfair resulting in counterproductive resistance. This is a common response to warning messages framed in terms of potential risks and costs. Fortunately, a wide range of evidence-based behavioural techniques are specifically designed to reduce counterproductive resistance. These techniques are designed to help individuals clarify their own motivators for behavioural change; and to teach psychological skills that can motivationally enhance messages. The current talk will provide insight into how to adopt behaviour analytic principles to support the development of more effective messaging to motivate effective behaviour change that will support individuals and groups.

Academics and practitioners interested in effective messaging to change behavior at individual or group levels.

Automatically reinforced behavior presents substantial challenges to clinicians when developing behavioral interventions. This presentation will examine that questions of how, when, and whether automatically reinforced behavior should be treated. Self-injury is problem behavior that is sometimes maintained by automatic reinforcement and can pose the risk of significant and, in some cases, life threatening harm. On the other hand, stereotypy is nearly always automatically maintained but rarely leads to injury. Ethical considerations for clinicians will be discussed and the risks and benefits of both treating and not treating self-injury and stereotypy be explored. Some applied research on evaluating and treating stereotypic behavior will be reviewed with a focus on effective interventions for building core adaptive living and social skills.

Applied Behavior Analysts

The presentation will focus on the importance of the application and divulgation of Behavior Based Safety processes, underlining the essential elements of the science of Behavior Analysis. There are various barriers in such divulgation for a number of reasons. Through the use of detailed examples, these will be presented and exposed, demonstrating the gaps that must filled in order to move on to the following steps. One of the common difficulties all behavior analysts encounter, is illustrating, to individuals and society how B-BS is used and the efficiency of such process. Nationally, one of the main challenges that all behavior analysts are needing to face, in relation to the divulgation of such science, are individuals’ beliefs, spanning credential, cultural and religious points of view. When specifically talking about B-BS, we are explaining a scientific method that involves making significant changes in the usual activities and routines of all the individuals that are adopting it. Such change is of great impact, requiring dedication and will, needing to be adopted and viewed as a new ‘lifestyle’ inside the firm, hospital, school and etc. Laws are another aspect that nations should widely take into consideration. Laws have the aim to clearly state and describe what behaviors should be adopted by all individuals, in a specific situation. Analyzing it under a behavioral perspective, laws should describe, under the three-contingency models (Antecedents, Behavior, Consequences) what are the behaviors that society needs to follow or base themselves on. However, when reading laws (in Italy in particular), everything is defined under the use of punishment, a consequence that has clearly demonstrated its inefficiency in relation to the adoption or changing of behaviors.

The points discussed above expose the main aspects that need to be addressed when developing, at a national and international level, the B-BS process, specifically when adopting the scientific application of Behavior Analysis. In order to continue with the divulgation of the use of B-BS process it's essential to make use of marketing tools. A possible technique that could be adopted, to convince individuals to adopt a B-BS process, is the use of negative reinforcement. Demonstrating, through clear evidence the effectiveness and efficiency of B-BS, through the support of higher hierarchy levels, can definitely be a strong method for individuals to start identifying the importance of the use of such process.

Various solutions and developments in the field of behavior analysis can be adopted, in order to promote and continue with the growth of such field and science. The change and modification of laws could be one, focusing on determining and describing how behaviors can be obtained, rather than just saying what the behaviors are that individuals should follow. All behavior analysists should work in collaboration to continue with the growth and divulgation of the science of behavior analysis, not only through a national point of view but rather under an international one. The help and support through the different International Chapters, should be the starting point.

Throughout the presentation, a clear example of the application of a B-BS process, in the industrial or social field, will be presented and described. This will allow the audience to have a better understanding on how such a method is applied and the change it can bring in relation to individuals behaviors and lives.

The primary audience consists of OBM’ers, Behavior Analysts, Chapter Leaders and individuals signed at the ABAI special interest groups (for example: Behavior Development, Dissemination of Behavior Analysis, Ethics and Behavior Analysis, Organizational Behavioral Network, Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis).

This presentation will include a short introduction to each of the journals edited by the panelists (Behavior and Social Issues, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and Behavior Analysis in Practice). Following this introduction, the panelists will respond to questions from the chair and audience regarding journal-specific details (e.g., submission and acceptance statistics, downloads, top citing sources), issues facing the journals (e.g., self-citations, impact factors, open access, participant descriptions, diversity and inclusion), and current issues in the field’s verbal behavior and the variety of audiences for behavior analytic publications. Finally, panelists will describe strategies researchers and practitioners in behavior analysis can use to become more involved with behavior analytic journals related to their work.

Behavior analytic researchers and practitioners

Telehealth provides an alternative modality of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) service which can be tailored to meet the unique and individual needs of clients across the globe. With rates of Autism on the rise, a steep increase in the need and desire of ABA has been noted in ample communities throughout the world. The lack of access to care, particularly in underserved communities, has always existed but has become more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals affected by Autism, whether it be children or adults, in developing countries have limited access to resources and qualified practitioners capable of providing services to those in need. QABA holds its certificants to the highest standards while advocating for ethical and efficient use of telehealth services for those with limited access to service. Telehealth can provide an advantage to individuals who reside in isolated and/or rural areas. The numerous benefits of telehealth services can offer to those in need include parent training, program modification, and access to care amongst many others. Telehealth is an innovative means of service delivery which can have a positive impact on individuals, families, and their communities.

Professionals in the field of applied behavior analysis, especially those residing in developing countries and those in need of more information on telehealth.

Since its earliest days, behavior analysis has been envisioned as a science uniquely well suited to the study and enhancement of the broadest possible range of human endeavors and behavioral phenomena, all with a consistent conceptualization and a common methodological approach. It is arguably still the case, however, that the lion’s share of work within our field falls within a limited number of spheres. The three panelists here each provide exemplary exceptions to this pattern. All three have braved the challenges of working outside the typical boundaries of our field, translating our approach to those who speak different scientific languages, and in doing so have fostered increased recognition and appreciation for behavior-analytic approaches from other disciplines. Dr. Pauline Horne is known for her pioneering work in synthesizing behavior analysis and more traditional approaches from human development, with attendant benefits to targets ranging from imitation to early verbal behavior to children’s diet and health. Dr. Suzanne Mitchell’s influential work on impulsivity, discounting, and behavioral pharmacology spans multiple disciplines and has been tremendously impactful in representing to them the strengths of a behavior-analytic approach. Dr. Ramona Houmanfar represents an internationally recognized and prize-winning career in guiding improvements at the group level in businesses and organizations with respect tobehavioral systems analysis, leadership, communication networks, and instructional design, among other critical operational targets.

Behavior Analysts