Includes peer reviewed journals within and adjacent to behavior analysis
(Starred journals available to BCBAs through the BACB portal)
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis *
9/16 Moon, S. L., & Joslyn, P. R. (2026). Effects of adversarial questioning on response accuracy in analog forensic interviews. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 59(4), e70087. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70087
7 subjects watched a video about a crime and then answered yes/no interview questions. The interviewer was either neutral or biased (e.g., expressing disapproval for accurate responses, approval for inaccurate responses). Most subjects had a decrement in accurate responses in the biased condition
9/17 Campbell, V. E., Higbee, T. S., Nichols, B., Lindgren, N. A., Wallace, K., Osos, J. A., & Reinert, K. S. (2026). Using linked digital activity schedules to promote cooperative thematic play. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 59(4), e70086. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70086
Dyads had linked iPad schedules consisting of cooperative play, combined with time-delay prompts; all subjects increased their cooperative play, with some generalization
Behavior Analysis in Practice
9/14 Jennings, A.M., Breeman, S.L., Vladescu, J.C. et al. Survey of Open Science Practices in Behavior Analysis. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-026-01235-4
Behavior analytic researchers who responded to a survey reported favorable opinions towards open science practices (e.g., open access articles, public data repositories)
9/15 Luiselli, J.K., Bird, F., Harper, J.M. et al. Conducting Research in ABA Service Organizations: Benefits, Obstacles, and Systems Solutions. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-026-01227-4
The Melmark people talk about how conducting research has gone at Melmark; they have written some books if you want to know more
Peña, H., Campos, G.C. & Kirkpatrick, M. Supporting Communication for Autistic Individuals in their Community Outings. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-026-01234-5
(Open access) BST with video modeling was used to teach social skills to autistic people, in particular focusing on skills that they themselves chose. The skills all improved, with some generalization
Davis, T.N., Akers, J.S., Hrabal, J. et al. Effects of Video Modeling and Performance Feedback to Prepare Preservice Behavior Analysts to Deliver Compassionate Care when Interacting with Parents. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-026-01221-w
(Open access) Video modeling targeted 7 "compassionate care" behaviors; 3/5 subjects improved with only the video models, while the remaining 2/5 improved with performance feedback. The 7 behaviors (with definitions, examples, and measurement criteria) are here
9/18 Halbur, M., Carroll, R., Preas, E. et al. Graduated Exposure with the Interspersal of Terminal Probes on Health and Self-Care Tolerance. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-026-01222-9
The authors used graduated exposure with task analyses, interspersed with terminal probes to see if subjects could skip any steps in the task analysis. Subjects could terminate the probes at any point, and probes were terminated when challenging behavior occurred. Subjects were able to skip anywhere from 2-27 steps and engaged with various routines
Journal of Organizational Behavior Management *
9/19 Perez, R., Rafacz, S. D., & Borboa, S. (2026). The effects of motivative augmentals emphasizing positive versus negative reinforcement on performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2026.2733262
"Motivative augmentals" are statements from leadership regarding reinforcement or punishment. Two statements -- 1 emphasizing reinforcing consequences, 1 emphasizing punishment -- were both presented in random order, employees responded more to the positive-negative condition
Behavior and Social Issues
9/17 Shanahan, C., Sturmey, P., Nistler, N. et al. Behavior Analytic Interventions for Bereaved Persons: Recommendations Derived from a Systematic Literature Review. Behav. Soc. Iss. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-026-00270-8
In a search of PsychINFO, all research before 2025 was examined for behavior analytic treatments for grief. 7 articles were found, with none in behavior analytic journals. The articles used a variety of interventions and measurements, but the authors suggest a need for further research
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior *
9/17 Shahan, T. A., Hiltz, J. B., Avellaneda, M., & Greer, B. D. (2026). Contingency discrimination training and resurgence: Effects of nonzero alternative reinforcement rates during “off” sessions. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 126(2), e70143. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.70143
In a translational task, the authors had mice engage in two conditions: reinforcement available and unavailable; discriminable conditions can mitigate resurgence. However, the "unavailable" condition had varying rates of reinforcement to test whether this changed the effect. When extinction was in effect, resurgence was eliminated, but in the varying conditions, resurgence was reduced, suggesting that complete extinction need not be implemented
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
9/18 Lindgren, N.A., Campbell, V.E., Higbee, T.S. et al. A Systematic Replication: Instructive Feedback to Produce Emerging Play Responses. Analysis Verbal Behav (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-026-00233-5
3 participants were engaged in DTT with instructive feedback (e.g., Teacher: "What's this?" Learner: "Cat." Teacher: Yes! The cat says Meow." with instructive feedback/secondary target in bold). The instructive feedback was a toy play response; 2/3 participants acquired the response without direct training
The Psychological Record
9/17 Alonso-Vega, J., Barahona, A., Checa-Guimet, C. et al. Generalized Functional and Equivalence Classes through Simple Successive Discriminations. Psychol Rec (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-026-00696-x
In an analog task, 7 adults were taught simple successive discriminations, and showed evidence of forming functional and equivalence classes
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
9/17 A failure to find effects of relational operant training on relational abilities or scholastic aptitude of school children: A randomised controlled trial
(Open access) A relational training program called SMART was compared to N-Back, a "working memory training," in a preregistered RCT. The authors found no differences in scores
Single Case in the Social Sciences Vol. 3 No. 1 (5 articles, 5 open access)
Most intriguing: Modified Habit Reversal for Restricted and Repetitive Behaviour in Autistic Young People
(Open access) The authors used various components in sequential experiments, including intervening on precursor behavior, adding multiple competing responses, and a lag schedule of reinforcement
Textbooks, handbooks, manuals, or mass-market
Upcoming:
An Ethics-Focused Guide for BCBA® Fieldwork: Shaping the Future, Solley & DePriest (Feb 2027)
Nonlinear Contingency Analysis: Going Beyond Cognition and Behavior in Clinical Practice, Layng, Andronis, Codd, Abdel-Jalil (Eds.) (Nov 2026)
Case Studies and Applications in Nonlinear Contingency Analysis, Abdel-Jalil & Linnehan (Eds.) (Oct 2026)
WAVE Prosocial Assessment and Curriculum, Rehfeldt & Dixon
AIM Navigators, Dixon (Pre-order)
Personal Narratives on the Behavior Analysis of Human Language and Cognition: Stories from Around the World, Harte et al. (Eds.)
Digital Technologies in Behavior Science: Theoretical and Practical Applications, Crone-Todd, Hantula, Layng (Eds.)
Promoting Language for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Verbal Behavior Guide for Practitioners, Vladescu & Kissamore (Eds.)
Navigating Ethics in Behavior Analysis: Dealing with Gray Areas, Carr
ABA Inside Track
(SUPERVISION) Using Peer Feedback in Supervision
All Things Behavior
A Verbal Behavior Analysis of Theory of Mind: Conceptual and Applied Implications with Francesca degli Espinosa
Generally these are produced by professionals
Steve Hayes
Finding the Submarine: Why You Should Approach Life Challenges Like Learning to Calm a Baby
Steve Hayes complains about the anti-utility of scientific research
OAR
Underemployment and “Stepping-Stone” Jobs: Maximizing Where You Are Now
If you're employed at a 3-letter federal agency, you might want to read this
BACB
Call for 2027 Hemingway Award Nominations
ASAN
The “Profound Autism” Label Hurts Autistic People
An interesting perspective
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
Would you like to have a lucrative contract with the US government, or just avoid their scrutiny? You’re in luck, because RFK Jr.-Linked Group Offered Access to US Officials for Payment. Additionally, HHS launched a new ASD diagnosis initiative that is somewhat suspiciously not focused on the real problem
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
Private Equity Is Cashing in on Autism Therapy. Children Are Paying the Price, The74
An article this stinky involves a sub-Wikipedia understanding of ABA, which they define as:
[...] a system of rewards and punishments designed to eliminate certain behaviors [...]
But they also, somehow, conclude that private equity isn’t the fundamental problem with private equity in ABA. Why not read good reporting instead?
UPCOMING:
BehaviorLive has free events: 9/24, 9/29, 9/30 (ETH)
The (former) current status of behaviorism
In pages 17-31 of RM Elliot’s papers at the University of Minnesota is an early draft of “The Current Status of Behaviorism.” Based on Skinner’s correspondence to Elliot (see page 4), this article was probably sent in May 1963. It appears as a manifesto of sorts, what Skinner termed “a line-straightening,” and includes what may have struck Killeen as funny:
Based on the underline, it appears that Elliot found it striking.