The Behaviorist Bookclub

Resources mentioned in this episode 2 CEU course on Solving Clinical Challenges with Research- www.behavioristbookclub.com/solving Transcript- www.behavioristbookclub/blog Slanzi & Sellers, 2023- Paying for Supervision: Barriers, Solutions, and Opportunities | SpringerLink Please contact Matt @ behavioristbookclub@gmail.com if you have any questions or if you need help accessing the full article!

In this slightly different episode, we go over all the articles in the newest issue of JABA, Volume 56, Issue 1! From ABA and Zoo to extinction bursts, this issue has it all. We are going to chat about each and every one and then get practical so YOU can learn to apply what you have read!

Hey there!   In this shorter episode, we talk about nonconcurrent multiple baselines and why is is SO important for practitioners to try to use experimental designs and demonstrate functional control in their clinical work. The benefits are numerous, and because of articles like this one, the options for designs are numerous as well!   Citation Slocum, T.A., Joslyn, P.R., Nichols, B. et al. Revisiting an Analysis of Threats to Internal Validity in Multiple Baseline Designs. Perspect Behav Sci 45, 681–694 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-022-00351-0

This episode, we talk about preference assessments! I guess, to be more specific, we talk about preference assessment stability regarding potential sexual partners. And while this may not be the MOST applied topic, I would argue that it is actually pretty dang useful to us practitioners who utilize reinforcement every single day! Remember to check out our Manding to Mastery Course by going to www.behavioristbookclub.com/manding and submit questions to the show by going to www.behavioristbookclub.com/question-submission Citation Jarmolowicz, D.P., LeComte, R.S. and Lemley, S.M. (2022), A multiple-stimulus-without-replacement assessment for sexual partners: Test–retest stability. Jnl of Applied Behav Analysis, 55: 1059-1067. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.936

Hello! In this podcast, we talk about a new JABA article all about building objective friendship building skills. Usually, I am not a fan of social skills research, but this article was really cool to me due to how objective and specific the whole analysis was.  After talking about the article, we answer a question from a practitioner on social stories!   Citation: Hood, S.A., Gopez, J.M., Fallon, M.J., Byczynski, F.A., Aquino, S.C. and Monroy, S. (2022), The beginning of a friendship: Teaching individuals with autism to identify shared interests. Jnl of Applied Behav Analysis, 55: 1030-1058. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.951   Blog/transcript- www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog

Check out this new episode where we talk about the new paper from Dubuque & Kazemi, as well as take a question on transitions in the school setting! Dubuque, E.M., Kazemi, E. An Investigation of BCBA Exam Pass Rates as a Quality Indicator of Applied Behavior Analysis Training Programs . Behav Analysis Practice 15, 909–923 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00660-x

Hello!  In this slightly different episode, we are going to listen to the first video on my Confessions series, where I break down the top 5 mistakes I made as a new analyst while working with the functional analysis.  In this episode, we talk about skipping the caregiver interview, and why that is the WORST thing you can do! For more on this course and to see the rest of the course for free, go to https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/confessions-training  

Hello! Your hosts, Dr. Jennifer Haddock, BCBA-D and Matt Harrington, BCBA present in our new comment and our new format! We talk about whose responsibility it is to teaching assent and assent withdrawal, the graduate schools or the supervision settings. We also answer a new question from social media on ethics and what to do next! Enjoy!

Welcome back! After a little bit of break, we are back! Back and dare I say it, better than ever?  Matt no longer is alone on this podcast, as we bring on Dr. Jennifer Haddock to be a permanent cohost! In this fun, short episode, we do a little bit of chatting and telling our stories. This is a great episode to listen to peel back the curtain and get to know your hosts a little bit! Enjoy! Submit a question for the next episodes! -> www.behavioristbookclub.com/question-submission  

Hello there everyone! During this podcast, we break down two more articles from JABA 55.3! We first talk about structured criteria usage in research and how this relates to clinicians. We end with a fascinating conversation about FCT and schedule thinning following FCT. These authors have some tricks up their sleeve that have not been seen yet! Citations Dowdy, A., Jessel, J., Saini, V., & Peltier, C. (2022). Structured visual analysis of single-case experimental design data: Developments and technological advancements. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 451-462. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.899 Miller, S. A., Fisher, W. W., Greer, B. D., Saini, V., & Keevy, M. D. (2022). Procedures for determining and then modifying the extinction component of multiple schedules for destructive behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 463-480. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.896 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC

Check out this quick walk through Kanaman et al., 2022 as we talk about how social interaction can change the results of your preference assessment! Kanaman, N. A., Hubbs, A. L., Dozier, C. L., Jones, B. A., Foley, E., & Brandt, J. A. (2022). Evaluating the effects of social interaction on the results of preference assessments for leisure items. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 430-450. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.897

Hello there! On this podcast, lets take a short jaunt through PFA and SBT methodology! This is a little preview of my new email course, 12 days to PFA and SBT. If you want to register, you can put your email in here! https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/pfa-sbt-opt-in

Hello there everyone! During this podcast, we listen to my recent webinar training, How to Analyze any Research Article in under 15 minutes. With my special key placement identification strategy, I train you how-to pull-out information that you need easily! Now, in audio form, this training is even easier to listen to, and should be of help to any behavior analyst or grad student in ABA. If you would like to watch the full FB live, check it out at this link- https://fb.watch/dWzkRZbCjI/ Coupon Code- FBLIVE- https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/offers/AzL4Rg39?coupon_code=FBLIVE Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC

Hey there! On this episode of One Less Lonely Practitioner, we talk to Shane Spiker! Shane (as you learn in the episode) is a person who wears many hats! On this episode, we dive into online schools, supervision and training, and end with a conversation about his publishing companies new peer reviewed journal, 7 dimensions. Some of the things you will learn is how to get the most out of an online program, and what the nuts and bolts of running an academic journal looks like! Get the 7 Dimensions journal summary! https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/offers/V7JbVZx2 Click the links to listen! Web Player https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC To find more of Shane WND Press: https://www.wndpress.com/ Links to Podcasts: https://www.wndpress.com/podcasts Resources discussed in the show: PBS RBT Course: https://www.teampbs.com/upcomingeventsnew.aspx 7 Dimensions Journal: https://www.wndpress.com/product-page/seven-dimensions-volume-1-spring-2022 Critchfield TS, Reed DD. The Fuzzy Concept of Applied Behavior Analysis Research. Behav Anal. 2017 May 15;40(1):123-159. doi: 10.1007/s40614-017-0093-x. PMID: 31976938; PMCID: PMC6701210. Ward SN, Hanley GP, Warner CA, Gage EE. Does teaching an omnibus mand preclude the development of specifying mands? J Appl Behav Anal. 2021 Jan;54(1):248-269. doi: 10.1002/jaba.784. Epub 2020 Oct 14. PMID: 33058160.

Hey there! On this episode of One Less Lonely Practitioner, we talk to Penny Halloway! Penny is both an admin of the very popular PFA & SBT Community: My way to HRE Facebook group and works and specializes in the home setting. During this episode, we talk about building rapport in the home setting, putting values and learning first during caregiver conversations, and the role of social media in building an online community. Click the links to listen! https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC To find more of Hilary Facebook Page: PFA and SBT Community Facebook Group: PFA & SBT Community: My way to HRE Resources discussed in the show: PIVOT Values Questionnaire: https://m.facebook.com/groups/403556143453216/permalink/1292188901256598/ Humble Behaviorism Redux article: https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s42822-022-00092-4?sharing_token=HA5lgn5T9P3FDuE4SiREsve4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY4D7s_IQkZghGOKheLJTVSid3z0J4UZ5ZBuKfyzA0qsc7HTmoc_e2GQ93-qx4PO3jLdkSDxs3dqnL-krSvoL5Ou-RHRXgi1niqQG4DVhsnIN5IdxjICyCmATQ7_FiDQoOE%3D Assent Research Article: Morris C, Detrick JJ, Peterson SM. Participant assent in behavior analytic research: Considerations for participants with autism and developmental disabilities. J Appl Behav Anal. 2021 Sep;54(4):1300-1316. doi: 10.1002/jaba.859. Epub 2021 Jun 18. PMID: 34144631.

Welcome to another episode of JABA in One Take! During this episode, we talk to about peer-tutoring, telehealth training, and intraverbal tacting! It is a wide range of topics, but we get through all of them efficiently, hitting the golden nuggets on each article! We are continuing to work through JABA Volume 55, Issue 2, so hang around and listen a while! Citations discussed Verdun, V. R., Fienup, D. M., Chiasson, B. A., & Greer, R. D. (2022). Arranging peer-tutoring instruction to promote inference-making. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 369-394. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.895 Neely, L., Tsami, L., Graber, J., & Lerman, D. C. (2022). Towards the development of a curriculum to train behavior analysts to provide services via telehealth. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 395-411. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.904 Rodriguez, N. M., Aragon, M. A., McKeown, C. A., & Glodowski, K. R. (2022). Facilitating the emergence of intraverbal tacts in children with autism spectrum disorder: A preliminary analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 412-429. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.898 Click the links to listen! WEBPLAYER https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog APPLE https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c GOOGLE https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC

Hey there! Welcome to another episode of JABA in One Take, where we break down and cover current ABA articles! Here are the articles discussed! Gover, H. C., Hanley, G. P., & Ruppel, K. W. (2022). On the generality of preference for contingent reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 318-336. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.892 Beaulieu, L. & Jimenez-Gomez, C. (2022). Cultural responsiveness in applied behavior analysis: Self-assessment. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 337-356. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.907 Hausman, N. L., Javed, N., Bednar, M. K., Guell, M., Schaller, E., Nevill, R. E., & Kahng, S. (2022). Interobserver agreement: A preliminary investigation into how much is enough? Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(2), 357-368. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.811 Click the links to listen! https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC

Hey there! On this episode of One Less Lonely Practitioner, we talk to Hillary Laney! Hillary is both an admin of the very popular PFA & SBT Community: My way to HRE Facebook group and the VP of Practical Functional Assessment at Centria Autism. During this episode, we talk about some of the ways you can be an ethical behavior analyst on social media and also how to promote big SHIFTS in organizations! Click the links to listen! https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC To find more of Hilary Facebook Page: PFA and SBT Community Facebook Group: PFA & SBT Community: My way to HRE Centria FB Page: Centria Autism Hillary's Centria Email: Hillary.laney@centriahealthcare.com Resources discussed in the show: Pat Friman on The Daily BA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyClJpztOSs Pyramidal Training Citation: Kuhn, S.A.C., Lerman, D.C. and Vorndran, C.M. (2003), PYRAMIDAL TRAINING FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH PROBLEM BEHAVIOR. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36: 77-88. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2003.36-77

Hey there! On this episode of One Less Lonely Practitioner, we talk to Patrick Jecmen! Patrick is a school- based Behavior Analyst and has been in schools his whole career. Some of the things that we discuss is how to use single case design in school settings and how to get really strong buy in from teachers and paraprofessionals! Click the links to listen! https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC To find more of Patrick! http://LearningBehaviorAnalysis.com/ On Facebook- @learningbehavioranalysis

Welcome back to the podcast! We welcome Maggie Ruckle, a Clinical Specialist over at the Kennedy Krieger Institute to talk about everything from severe challenging behavior to promoting a circumstantial view of behavior during parent training! Click the links to listen! https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-behaviorist-bookclub/id1592866875 https://open.spotify.com/show/1wYWlSxsRKBEtcB1nyf8OQ?si=da53f9e5eab5487c https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2JlaGF2aW9yaXN0Ym9va2NsdWIvZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiey-2n4sL1AhX4azABHa2KCNcQ9sEGegQIARAC To find more of Maggie! @theappalachianbehaviorist Citation to the discussed article Friman, P. C. (2021). There is no such thing as a bad boy: The Circumstances View of problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(2) 636-653. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.816

Let's get excited again about ACT by learning a lot of the background technology. RFT is like the engine that powers ACT, as stated by Tarbox et al., 2020. This article breaks down terms and then shows the average practitioner how to apply this process to a practitioner science. Kelly, A. D., Kelly, M. E. (2022). Acceptance and Commitment Training in Applied Behavior Analysis: Where Have You Been All My Life? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 43–54 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00587-3

Rather than getting caught up in the bullish excitement of ACT, let's look at a critique of the technology. Sandox et al., 2021 gives us a really good critique of Tarbox et al. and helps to focus future ACT research on a direct assessment. Sandoz, E. K., Gould, E. R., & DuFrene, T. (2021). Ongoing, Explicit, and Direct Functional Assessment is a Necessary Component of ACT as Behavior Analysis: A Response to Tarbox et al. (2020). Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00607-2

This week, we are going to break down and have a conversation about acceptance and commitment therapy/training. Tarbox et al., wrote a great paper explaining a little bit about ACT and how it fits into the behavior analytic lense. However, such a large topic results in a large paper, so we are going to break this article up into two podcasts. This next part goes into some of the common criticisms of ACT and how ACT is baked into the task list! Tarbox, J., Szabo, T. G., & Aclan, M. Acceptance and Commitment Training Within the Scope of Practice of Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavior Analysis Practice 15, 11–32 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00466-3

This week, we are going to break down and have a conversation about acceptance and commitment therapy/training. Tarbox et al., wrote a great paper explaining a little bit about ACT and how it fits into the behavior analytic lense. However, such a large topic results in a large paper, so we are going to break this article up into two podcasts. The first one goes over how the basics of ACT work and how it fits into the seven dimensions of behavior analysis. Tarbox, J., Szabo, T. G., & Aclan, M. Acceptance and Commitment Training Within the Scope of Practice of Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavior Analysis Practice 15, 11–32 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00466-3

This fun article covers another application of behavioral skills training. This time, these researchers take to the college campus to try to help Frat and Sorority members pour accurate servings of beer. It seems like they hit quite a few roadblocks, and we are here to talk about them! This is a fun one, and another great application of our science past our little bubble. Strickland, M. A., & Kohn, C. S. (2022). Behavioral skills training to teach college students to free-pour standard servings of alcohol. Behavioral Interventions, 1– 17. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1873 *Correction- I thought that this article was from Behavior Analysis in Practice, but it is from Behavioral Interventions.

During this podcast, we break down an interesting article from Behavior Analysis in Practice. Aciu et al., 2021 looks at the application of behavioral skills training to CPR. What I found fascinating about this article was the focus on a topic that was outside of our behaviorist bubble, so during this chat we focus on what this article did right, and what could be improved on regarding dissemination efforts. Aciu, J-L. A., Vladescu, J. C., Marano-Frezza, K. E., Reeve, K. F., & Gravina, N. (2021). Teaching hands-only CPR using behavioral skills training. Behavioral Interventions, 36(4), 1– 16. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1820   *Correction- I thought that this article was from Behavior Analysis in Practice, but it is from Behavioral Interventions.

Well, we wrapped up another volume of JABA. 19 articles and about 304 pages of research. Tune in for this episode to catch my best of, and to hear my thoughts on the can't miss articles that came out this winter.

The rise of remote CEU opportunities has been exponential. Most analysts I know get their CEUs from online webinars or podcasts. However, there has been little research in effective telehealth training, especially in more complex topics, such as the set up and application of the functional analysis. These researchers evaluate a completely remote option for training, and then take feedback to adjust their methodology mid paper! Lloveras, L. A., Tate, S. A., Vollmer, T. R., King, M., Jones, H., & Peters, K. P. (2022). Training behavior analysts to conduct functional analyses using a remote group behavioral skills training package. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 290-304. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.893

I have never been shy about my love of the trial based functional analysis. I think it's a great tool and a great way to quickly identify a function. This article applies this methodology to behavioral feeding and compares it to the more traditional extended FA. There findings are interesting, so I would check this one out! Andersen, A. S., Hansen, B. A., & Peterson, K. M. (2022). An evaluation of trial-based functional analyses of inappropriate mealtime behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 264-289. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.888

Bilingual learners present specific challenges for language development. For example, what are the most efficient way to introduce new words so that they become usable across a variety of settings? These authors examine the different ways to introduce new tacting language to the learner to promote generalization across the other verbal operants. Cortez, M. D., da Silva, L. F., Cengher, M., Mazzoca, R. H. & Miguel, C. F. (2022). Teaching a small foreign language vocabulary to children using tact and listener instruction with a prompt delay. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 249-263. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.885

I am a huge fan of research that I feel like I can use right away to help improve my life. This article is exactly that. It focuses on the speech disfluencies that occur when speaking. That is the ums, the ahs, and any other phrases that serve as fillers. These authors examine the effects of awareness training on these disfluencies, and then uses a component analysis to determine what the most effect aspects of the training are.

Papers like these always excite me, because it really dives into some of the big questions of the field. This study tries to answer the question of, what happens to a behavior function following a medication change? Does the function go away? If a behavior is motivated by escape, did the risperidone get rid of the escape function? Or, just in general, did all behaviors decrease. It is a hard to answer question, with a myriad of consequence depending on the answer. These authors do a solid job of getting us started in this article!

Teaching play skills to children with Autism is typically included in many early intervention plans. However, there has been little explanation on how to select the targets. Some people use peers as comparisons, and some use specific assessments. These authors compare the two methods and make suggestions for clinical behavior in the future. Pane, H. M., Sidener, T. M., Reeve, S. A., Kisamore, A., & Nirgudkar, A. (2022). A comparison of development-matched and age-matched targets on play skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 195-213. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.891

Following the cat article Monday, we get to continue our pattern of fun topics by looking at the application of behavioral coaching to dance instruction. The authors created a manualized intervention and wanted to test out the effectiveness of their tool, as well as the social validity of it. This article is a great example of how to validate and test a new behavioral technology, as well as a great guide on behavioral coaching. Quinn, M., Blair, K.-S. C., Novotny, M., & Deshmukh, S. (2022). Pilot study of a manualized behavioral coaching program to improve dance performance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 180-194. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.874

Ep. 50- How an analysis of cat behavior can help the everyday behavior analyst This is one of my favorite articles in JABA, primarily because I am huge cat person. However, I also really enjoy the focus on solid behavioral methodology and function-based treatments. These authors took a creative approach to a socially significant problem and ended up having a great intervention and teaching tool to show for it. Fritz, J. N., Fletcher, V. L., Dyer, S. P., Carpenter, K. A., Skrbec, M. L., & Yankelevitz, R. L. (2022). Functional analysis and treatment of aggression exhibited by cats toward humans during petting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 169-179. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.877

These authors wrote this paper to continue the conversation and the research related to the IISCA vs. the FA. Specifically, this paper looks at the frequency of false positive function identifications when using a synthesized contingency. Some of the past articles discussing this topic have left out a technological description and usage of the interview and observation phase in the IISCA. The authors suspect that this may be the reason why there are differing research papers that are being put out that seem to contradict each other. So, by examining the observation and interviewing procedures, the authors attempted to compare the procedures and contribute to the conversation around when to use each analysis, and what would be best for the client that we serve. Irwin Helvey, C. & Van Camp, C. M. (2022). Further comparison of isolated and synthesized contingencies in functional analyses. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 154-168. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.890

We have talked about resurgence. We have talked about renewal. We have even talked about renewal mitigation strategies. But these authors noted a hole in the research and went to fix it. That hole is the lack of study on renewal when it comes to automatically maintained behavior. In fact, most of the summary papers that examine trends excluded this response class. However, this paper focuses solely on renewal when the behavior is maintained by nonsocial reinforcement, and they identify some key differences, and similarities, in the way that renewal affects behaviors that are automatically maintained. Read, and listen, on and we will walk through each one of them! Muething, C., Call, N., Ritchey, C. M., Pavlov, A., Bernstein, A. M. & Podlesnik, C. A. (2022). Prevalence of relapse of automatically maintained behavior resulting from context changes. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 138-153. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.887

Continuing our jaunt through the functional communication research field, we will be looking at quite a fascinating little article from Landa et al. This article looks at the how and when to prompt when teaching a communicative response. There is a research hole, quite a big one, related to the technological description of prompting in functional communication training. Very few articles describe if a therapist should prompt prior to, immediately after, or delay a prompt based on problem behavior occurring. This large gab in methods is a problem for practitioners, as it can lead to some unwelcome behaviors, such as an extinction burst during a treatment phase. Therefore, these authors examined when it was best to prompt by comparing three commonly used methods. They looked at within session and overall data patterns to determine if there was a more efficient and safer method. Landa, R. K., Hanley, G. P., Gover, H. C., Rajaraman, A. & Ruppel, K. W. (2022). Understanding the effects of prompting immediately after problem behavior occurs during functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 121-137. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.889

The last episode we did was on functional communication training, and this one continues that trend, one of the differences is that this article focuses on the follow-up to the training. Specifically, these researchers focused on fading the schedule of reinforcement following successful FCT. Prior research has looked at different ways to do this, including competing stimulus, additional components, and slower fading using a multiple schedule. This article takes a naturalistic approach and examines what the effects of having naturally occurring stimuli in the environment has on the behavior. Similar to Wednesday's article, this essentially is a question of reducing resurgence. The researchers were able to compare multiple different conditions and effectively fade the schedule with no increase in problem behavior. Simmons, C. A., Salvatore, G. L., & Zangrillo, A. N. (2022). Efficiency and preference for alternative activities during schedule thinning with functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 101-120. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.886

Functional communication training is an essential part of a behavior analysts' job. It is one of the most used treatments, and there is no denying that. However, these authors were able to cleanly identify a huge gap in the research literature. That gap was the lack of research regarding functional communication training to bilingual learners. Specifically, these researchers set out to teach a bilingual learner to change their mand modality (language) based on an extinction contingency by a caregiver. This was to ensure that the resurgence would not occur just because a caregiver or therapist did not understand the language that was being used. With a clever mixture of behavioral skills training and massed trials, they were able to achieve this in a very naturalistic manner. Banerjee, I., Lambert, J. M., Copeland, B. A., Paranczak, J. L., Bailey, K. M., & Standish, C. M. (2022). Extending functional communication training to multiple language contexts in bilingual learners with challenging behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 80-100. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.883

To understand the meaning behind this translational article, it is important to understand the background context. Hagopian et al., 2015 and 2017 developed and finalized a way to identify different subtypes of automatically maintained behavior. Specifically, they looked at self-injury. They were trying to figure out why some clients with SIB would easily be treated and some would require multiple treatment components, sometimes even punishment. Hagopian et al., were able to determine that automatically maintained self-injury can be divided into three different subtypes. Subtype 1 presents with differentiation between the alone and play condition of an FA, Subtype 2 has no differentiation between the alone and play condition, and subtype 3 engages in self-restraining behavior. Based on their findings and follow-up studies, they found that subtype 2 behaviors were very difficult to change and resistant to reinforcement-based strategies. Therefore, Rooker et al., 2019 conducted a translational study to examine if this resistant to change trait persisted across other, non-automatically maintained responses classes. They found that it did not persist, but that when they were conducting this experiment, they found something unique. When engaging with the arbitrary response, self-injury decreased. Therefore, to examine this further, this paper looked at the effect that different schedules of competing reinforcement have on the frequency of automatically maintained self-injury. They found that the richer the schedule of reinforcement for a response outside the auto response class, the less auto SIB occurred. This indicates that a potential treatment pathway would be competing response classes, rather than competing stimuli. To understand the meaning behind this translational article, it is important to understand the background context. Hagopian et al., 2015 and 2017 developed and finalized a way to identify different subtypes of automatically maintained behavior. Specifically, they looked at self-injury. They were trying to figure out why some clients with SIB would easily be treated and some would require multiple treatment components, sometimes even punishment. Hagopian et al., were able to determine that automatically maintained self-injury can be divided into three different subtypes. Subtype 1 presents with differentiation between the alone and play condition of an FA, Subtype 2 has no differentiation between the alone and play condition, and subtype 3 engages in self-restraining behavior. Based on their findings and follow-up studies, they found that subtype 2 behaviors were very difficult to change and resistant to reinforcement-based strategies. Therefore, Rooker et al., 2019 conducted a translational study to examine if this resistant to change trait persisted across other, non-automatically maintained responses classes. They found that it did not persist, but that when they were conducting this experiment, they found something unique. When engaging with the arbitrary response, self-injury decreased. Therefore, to examine this further, this paper looked at the effect that different schedules of competing reinforcement have on the frequency of automatically maintained self-injury. They found that the richer the schedule of reinforcement for a response outside the auto response class, the less auto SIB occurred. This indicates that a potential treatment pathway would be competing response classes, rather than competing stimuli.   Rooker, G. W., Hagopian, L. P., Haddock, J. N., Arevalo, A. R., Bonner, A. C. & Dillon, C. M. (2022). Analysis of unexpected disruptive effects of contingent food reinforcement on automatically maintained self-injury. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 62-79. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.875

Trauma-informed care has recently come into the spotlight in many other fields, but this is one of the first focused articles on it in behavior analysis. There have been some other notable exceptions, but generally, the concept of trauma has been ignored by the larger behavior analytic community. There are potentially a few reasons for this, and this article breaks them down quite nicely. The authors then lead us through what a behavior analytic trauma informed care model could look like, giving plenty of examples and options. In my opinion, this is one of the best new articles for a behavior analyst to read, as it goes into the why behind changing to a trauma informed care model, as well as the how to change. It is clear from reading that the authors were extremely passionate on this topic, and it was a pleasure to read and review. Rajaraman, A., Austin, J. L., Gover, H. C., Cammilleri, A. P., Donnelly, D. R., & Hanley, G. P. (2022). Toward trauma-informed applications of behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 40-61. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.881

Conversion therapy and ABA unfortunately have a past that is intertwined based on the similarities of research lines and methods used. It is important for behavior analysts to be aware of this past, as well as the ongoing issues and topics swirling around this matter. Past a conversation about the harm of the past, however, is a call to future action. Capriottie & Donaldson, 2022 continue the conversation of a retraction vs. an expression of concern by giving some context to the circumstances revolving around the original Reekers and Lovaas publication as well as the retraction process as a whole. In addition, they also focus on action steps that behavior analysts can step and give a great list of future research recommendations. Some research topics include the application of brief habit reversal to pronoun usage and behavioral skills training for corrective feedback to bigoted comments. Encouraging and providing options for research in this area will reduce the response effort associated with starting a new research line. Hopefully, the maintenance of this conversation will lead to real social change within our field. Capriotti, M. R. & Donaldson, J. M. (2022). “Why don't behavior analysts do something?”1 Behavior analysts' historical, present, and potential future actions on sexual and gender minority issues. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 19-39. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.884

Conversion therapy and ABA unfortunately have a past that is intertwined based on the similarities of research lines and methods used. It is important for behavior analysts to be aware of this past, as well as the ongoing issues and topics swirling around this matter. Past a conversation about the harm of the past, however, is a call to future action. Through the following two articles, Conine et al., 2022 and Capriotti & Donaldson, 2022, these authors focus on calls to action and future behaviors that we as a community can take to support and affirm those in the LGBTQ+ community. Conine et al., 2022 focuses less on the conversation around the retraction and expression of concern, and more around specific action steps that both individuals and professional organizations can take. Some of these actions are things such as position statements and encouraging further research representation. It is important to note that the purpose of this article was not to be read, but rather to be acted upon! Behavior analysts everywhere have a role to play in the continued growth of support for this community. Whether that be proudly displaying a diversity statement or following through with promises made in the past, the only way for true change is a grassroots cultural shift in the practitioners of this science. Conine, D. E., Campau, S. C., & Petronelli, A. K. (2022). LGBTQ+ conversion therapy and applied behavior analysis: A call to action. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 6-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.876

Let's finish this week strong with a discussion of the concept of variability as it directly relates to manding. The concept of variability is one that perhaps needs to be framed with the disclaimer that… A behavior analyst should not contingently reinforce variability unless the acquisition of variability increases the quality of life of the client being served. If a client and an Analyst agree to target variability, one is left confused on where to start. After all, variability seems more like a concept than a behavior. The purpose of this article is to operationalize and give a review over variability literature and provide some operational definitions for this concept. In addition to clarifying the concept, the author makes some strong arguments on why we need to be reinforcing and encouraging variability, especially in the context of functional communication training and the reduction of problematic behavior. Silbaugh, B.C. (2021). Some Dimensions of Mand Variability and Implications for Research and Practice. Analysis Verbal Behavior, 37(1), 123–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-021-00144-7

In our accidental two-part series, we explore a little discussed topic in verbal behavior. The concept of learning channels and the role of stimulus equivalence training. A learning channel is essentially the classification of a prompt or task based on the types of sensory modalities that it encompasses. For example, holding up a laminated card and saying, “What is this?” would be an example of a HearSeeSay learning channel. However, there may be evidence to support that the addition of different sensory modalities within a learning channel can increase the acquisition speed of an intraverbal target. These authors attempt to demonstrate this by comparing acquisition speeds of traditional learning channels and learning channels with additional sensory modalities. In a slightly complicated article, the authors dovetail the discussion into a very practical takeaway and makes suggestions for the teaching of intraverbals for kids or adults who have Autism Spectrum Disorder. Thakore, A., Stockwell, A., & Eshleman, J. (2021). Learning channels: The role of compound stimuli in the emergence of intraverbal relations in children on the autism spectrum. Analysis Verbal Behavior, 37(1), 97–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-020-00142-1

Stimulus equivalence theory is one of those things that behavior analysts either love or hate. In fact, one of my favorite behavior analysts that I have met had the stimulus equivalence paradigm tattooed on their arm. Personally, I love it, because I think it gives us as behavior analysts the answer to the question of generative language development. Is it the whole answer? Probably not, but it is at least a start. In this article, the continue the exploration of stimulus equivalence by comparing the acquisition of match to sample tasks when common and individual naming is taught. Naming is when a stimulus is given a “name” such as naming a pencil “pencil”. The reason this concept is important is because there is some evidence to support that an individual must be able to name a stimulus before acquiring symmetry, transitivity, and reflexivity. This article explores all of these topics, with some great practical steps for the behavior analyst at the end! I hope you enjoy. Granerud, G., & Arntzen, E. (2021). Naming of stimuli in equivalence class formation in children. Analysis Verbal Behavior, 37(1), 77–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-021-00143-8

Breaking from lag schedules, this week ends with an analysis of different tacting procedures and how each can lead into generalization and maintenance for the child. Specifically, these authors looked at the difference between teaching tacting with and without a verbal stimulus paired with the nonverbal antecedent. The phrase “What is this?” is common in tacting but may lead to adverse outcomes such as faulty stimulus control or a lack of generalization. Therefore, these authors sought to compare tacting methods with and without the question, while simultaneously doing extensive testing on naturalistic generalization and maintenance, in order to determine if either method, or DTT as a whole was able to generalize to the natural environment. This podcast will be a great listen for all my early intervention folks out there who are constantly teaching tacting, manding, and intraverbals. I know that I am constantly teaching those skills, and to dive into an article that not only dives into the procedures for those skills but answers the generalization question was quite refreshing!

To continue and end our short series on lag schedules, I present you with this article from the Analysis of Verbal Behavior Journal. This article focuses on a clinical application of the lag schedule and how it would look to actually implement this in practice. The target behavior is variability in social responses when asked some form of the question, “What do you like to do?” This article extends the research by focusing on multiple different questions, maintenance data, as well as showing the applied nature of the schedule. I think that this is a good example of clinical research, but not without limitations. We will dive into those limitations in depth, as well as the strengths of the methods. I hope that after listening to both these episodes on lag schedules, you will be able to not only understand the pros and cons of putting one into place, but also the how and why of when to use it clinically.

We are going to start out the week right by diving into a little discussed topic in ABA. That is Lag Schedules. Lag schedules are a way to increase the variability in responses garnered from a learner. A lag schedule 2 for example, would only reinforce the learner if the response given was different than the two prior responses. One of my favorite things about a lag schedule is that it does not extinguish behavior. At all times, a response can be reinforced, as long as it is different from the number of responses noted in the lag schedule. This study on the lag schedules examines both the value of rules and groups in the application of lag schedules. They specifically target category responding, which is a common early intervention skill. Overall, I think this is a great reintroduction into the world of lag schedules if you are like me and haven't used them since the first semester of grad school!

In what is I think the strangest topic we have covered so far; we dive into the topic of metaphysics and its application to behavior analysis. One of the advantages of not having a JABA issue to review is that I get to pick and choose what articles I want to cover. I debated a while about this topic, but finally I just decided to go for it! I am no philosopher, but the topics covered in this analysis were fascinating and really changed my perspective on the debate between mentalism and behaviorism. It also helped clarify some assumptions that I always had but did not know where they came from. Why is that important? Every single day we are in the process of selling our worldview (determinism) to a caregiver, child, staff member, someone who most likely has grown up with an anti-deterministic worldview. By better understanding all the different views out there, we can better modify our language to promote a healthy and honest discussion about the topics that are truly giving pause to those we are trying to elicit buy-in from. Working through this article (and podcast) I hope will give you some of the same clarification that it gave me while having those discussions.