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Scholarly publications
Includes peer reviewed journals within and adjacent to behavior analysis
(Starred journals available to BCBAs through the BACB portal)
Behavioral Interventions *
3/3 Thakore, A., Petursdottir, A., Ho, C. and Mireles, M. (2025), Using Object Imitation to Establish Auditory-Visual Conditional Discrimination in Children Diagnosed With Autism. Behavioral Interventions, 40: e70009. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.70009
Autistic twins had acquired motor imitation skills but no listener responding skills. The authors engaged them in motor imitation paired with a listener responding task, and the kids acquired the LR skills
3/6 Ragulan, S.C., Schweiger, J., Contreras, B.P. and Hanna, A. (2025), A Survey of Ethics-Related Training Within Behavior Analysis. Behavioral Interventions, 40: e70008. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.70008
In a survey the authors try to discover what kind of ethics training is received by behavior analysts, which tends to be narrow and rigid, and find certain factors impact trainee perceptions. Data is available here
Perspectives on Behavior Science
3/3 Lutz, A.S.F. Applied Behavior Analysis in the Crosshairs: Neurodiversity, the Intact Mind, and Autism Politics. Perspect Behav Sci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-025-00439-3
(Open access) Is anti-ABA sentiment driven by a belief in "the intact mind" -- wherein proponents believe that all autistic people are of average or above average intelligence? In any case, a convincing argument
3/7 Keenan, M. I Wouldn’t Even Want to Go There!. Perspect Behav Sci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-025-00440-w
(Open access) The author argues that, in Northern Ireland, ABA is just "one of many" interventions because people have been selling their own branded versions of ABA. He contrasts this with the Czech Republic, wherein stakeholders made a push for ABA
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior *
3/4 Silva, C. H. S., & Saini, V. (2025). Separate and combined effects of operant ABA renewal mitigation strategies. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.70002
(Open access) Renewal is when extinguished problem behaviors return, often due to the fact that the environment supports the behavior. Two strategies are 1) fade the treatment environment so that it resembles the baseline environment, and 2) give an extinction signal that can be placed in the baseline environment. In this study, both were used separately and together; using these together or only using fading worked, while the signal worked by itself but not to a statistically significant degree
Zhirnova, T., Miguel, C. F., & Cordeiro, M. C. (2025). The role of bidirectional naming in the emergence of analogical relations in children. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.70003
Four typically developing children aged 5-7 were trained on stimuli (nouns) and their relations (same/different). When given new stimuli, 2/4 correctly established relations and, when asked how they matched, used analogical reasoning, while 2/4 required extra training
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
3/3 Halbur, M., Kodak, T. & Reidy, J. A Comparison of Training Procedures on the Emergence of Intraverbal-Tacts. Analysis Verbal Behav (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-024-00214-6
The authors compared teaching with compound stimuli versus isolated (e.g., teaching "big," "red," and "circle" using 1 picture or 3) with undergrads and then with 1 autistic child, and find that there are not significant differences between the conditions
Education and Treatment of Children
3/3 Walker, D., Carta, J.J., Greenwood, C.R. et al. Interventions for Early Language and Communication. Educ. Treat. Child. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-024-00147-8
The Juniper Gardens Children's Project is a preschool operated by the University of Kansas; In this article they share findings on language interventions, plus how to support language in the natural environment
3/4 Campbell, R., Reiss, L., Lane, J.D. et al. Collaboratively Supporting Families: A Rapid Coaching Intervention for Caregivers. Educ. Treat. Child. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-025-00150-7
Aspiring behavior analysts collaborated with SLPs and coached parents on intervening on their children's language. The parents acquired the skills
3/6 Carta, J.J., Schnitz, A.G. & Greenwood, C.R. Interventions for Promoting Kindergarten Readiness. Educ. Treat. Child. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-025-00152-5
Juniper Gardens share some of their findings on how to best prepare disadvantaged children for school success
The Psychological Record
3/4 Andrews, T.E.A., Starkey, N.J. & Sargisson, R.J. Using Hypothetical Probability Discounting to Measure Socially Influenced Risk-Taking during a Viral Outbreak. Psychol Rec (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-025-00636-1
(Open access) In various hypothetical tasks, people are more likely to take risks for parents and partners, those closest to them socially, and for medical emergencies. Men are more likely to take these risks than women
Okouchi, H. Does “Mutual Reinforcement” Function as Reinforcement for Humans? An Examination of the Function of Increasing Response Rates. Psychol Rec (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-025-00635-2
In a contingency where 1 undergrad pressed a button to give another undergrad a point, this did not appear to increase response rates. When told to "work together" in the same contingency, response rates increased for about half of participants
3/7 González-Cifuentes, C.E., Ruiz, F.J., Bernal-Manrique, K.N. et al. Efficacy of a Brief ACT Intervention in Reducing Interpersonal Problems and Fostering Interpersonal Flourishing: A Randomized Multiple-Baseline Evaluation. Psychol Rec (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-025-00634-3
(Open access) A personalized 4 session ACT intervention decreased symptoms of depression for 6/9 participants and generalized anxiety disorder for 3/5 participants
Journal of Behavioral Education
3/8 Hirt, S.M., Stormont, M. & Campbell, A.R. Investigating the Effectiveness of the I-Connect Intervention for Students with Emotional Disturbance. J Behav Educ (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-025-09583-x
The authors used I-Connect, a self monitoring smartphone app from the University of Kansas, to increase on-task academic behavior in 2 kids with emotional disturbance
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
3/4 Investigating the delivery of an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) smartphone app intervention on symptomology in adult IBS patients: a feasibility study.
A smartphone ACT app helped with IBS symptoms for the people who used it
3/7 Persisting with Purpose: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Target Comorbid Opioid Use Disorder and Chronic Pain in a Racially and Economically Marginalized Population
The authors developed a unique clinical manual, which is being evaluated in a later study
Acta Comportmentalia (Vol. 33 Núm. 1 (2025)) (8 articles, 8 open access) A Brazilian journal, most of these are in Portuguese, though with English abstracts.
OPEN ACCESS Articles include:
Teaching Musical Notes to Children with Autism Using Instruction Based on Equivalence
One conventionally developing and one autistic subject were taught musical notes, notation, and position on a guitar, and learned all equivalences, but did not learn to play instrumentsEffect of Sociocultural Context on Equivalence-Equivalence Relationship Training
14 advantaged and 14 disadvantaged children were tested on equivalence relations between novel stimuli. All 14 advantaged children learned the relations, while about one-third of the disadvantaged children did notSyllable Discrimination Training and Reading Test for Adults in Literacy
With 2 adults in literacy training, the authors found that starting with syllable sounds facilitated learningBehavioral Activation for Depression and Harmful Alcohol Use in Mexicans
Behavioral activation was used in a group, which helped increase attendance, and clients improved in all measuresBehavioral Community Approach: Particularities and Challenges
A discussion of using behavior analysis in community applications (e.g., pollution, traffic)
Uses of the Expression “Generalized Operant”: Controversies and Possibilities
The authors argue that the term “generalized operant” has not been well-defined and may be misusedLeadership Responses in Metacontingencies: Concept and Implications
The authors define leadership in terms of verbal interactions, and apply that to metacontingencies and cultural selectionNon-Mediational Psychologies: An Integration as Ontogenetic Dynamic Systems
A conceptual article that proposes specific interactions in a novel hierarchy to explain behavior
Book publications
Textbooks, handbooks, manuals, or mass-market
Upcoming:
Using Functional Analysis in Psychotherapy, Niklas Törneke (Available now)
Handbook for Behavioral Skills Training, Edition 1, Sturmey & Maffei-Almodovar (Available now)
Ethical Decision Making in Applied Behavior Analysis, Schwartz & Kelly (Available Mar. 25, 2025)
New this quarter:
Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd Edition), Bailey & Burch
Multiculturalism and Diversity in Applied Behavior Analysis: Bridging Theory and Application (2nd Edition), Conners & Capell (Eds.)
Talk Behavior to Me: The Routledge Dictionary of the Top 150 Behavior Analytic Terms and Translations, Samuel
The Behavior of Social Justice, Parks et al.
A Practical Guide to Functional Assessment and Treatment for Severe Problem Behavior, Jessel & Sturmey (Eds.)
Handbook of Organizational Performance, Volume II, D. Johnson & C. Johnson (Eds.)
Recent:
Podcasts
ABA Inside Track
March 2025 Preview
Episodes will include:
Qualitative Analysis of RBT Burnout w/ Dr. Nicole Gravina
The Ethics of Meaningful Goals w/ Dr. Shanna Bahry (ETHICS)
Ableism and the Medical Model of Diversity (TRAUMA-INFORMED)
Behavioral Observations
Evaluación Práctica Funcional y Tratamiento Basado en Habilidades: Estudio de Caso con Ana María Mendez-Vides
Blogs
Generally these are produced by professionals
ABAI
Can You “Forget” How to Ride a Bicycle? The Laws of Behavior Say: Sort Of
An interesting discussion of "forgetting" -- with evidence that people may not, exactly, forget (in the way we commonly think about it)
Stronger Together: Leveraging Behavior Analysis in Related and Unrelated Organizations
OAR
Federal Commission Created to Investigate Children’s Health
Licensing & professional organizations
ASAT
Science Corner: Infidelity as a Threat to Internal Validity
Business world
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
State Issues to Watch in Autism Therapy: ABA Hour Caps, Rate Cuts
Indiana has limited Medicaid ABA coverage to 30 hours per week for 3 years. Nebraska, with the highest RBT reimbursement rate in the nation, is looking at similar limitations. Modernhealthcare has a whole page to track layoffs in healthcare, in part due to fear about Medicaid cuts. Surely the current administration is capable of clarity
Accidentally behavior analysis
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
Exclusive: US CDC plans study into vaccines and autism, sources say, Reuters
This will be followed by a study into whether yellow bile causes consumption. In a real-life coincidence, we have a current in vivo study into whether measles, a deadly and contagious disease, can be cured by…vitamin A supplements? This is the best use of our dwindling government funding
Continuing education
UPCOMING:
BehaviorLive is back to posting free events? 3/18, 3/26, 3/27
Flashback
In a 1984 paper co-authored by Steve Hayes, children who were fearful of the dark had their fear treated with modeling, or taught self-statements. When the children believed that their performance was not known to the experimenter, it barely improved. When the children believed that their performance was known to the experimenter, their performance improved significantly.
How much of any treatment is due to a social effect?