Scholarly publications
Includes peer reviewed journals within and adjacent to behavior analysis
(Starred journals available to BCBAs through the BACB portal)
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis *
8/21 Agana, T. R. T., Sidener, T. M., Pane, H. M., & Reeve, S. A. (2024). Comparing development-matched and age-matched play targets: A replication and extension. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.2910
(Open access) In a replication, the researchers taught 2 types of play skills to autistic children: age-appropriate, and developmental level-appropriate. Without prompts or reinforcement, the children typically used the developmental level-appropriate play skills
Behavior Analysis in Practice
8/19 Silva, R.A., Lobato, J., dos Santos Nascimento, B. et al. Assessment of the Social Validity of Physical Restraint in Behavioral Interventions for Autism with Brazilian Professionals. Behav Analysis Practice (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00978-2
Brazilian professionals in one organization rated the social significance of physical restraint; most employees find it acceptable as a last resort, in order to maintain safety
8/20 Heward, W.L., Eshleman, J.W. & Kimball, J.W. Ogden R. Lindsley: I Followed the Idea of the Missoula Smokejumpers. Behav Analysis Practice (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00987-1
(Open access) A transcript of a taped conversation with Og Lindsley. Find out what he thinks about Sesame Street, and how Project Follow Through soured him on developing educational interventions
Behavioral Interventions *
8/21 Daly, S., Phillips, K. J., Mudford, O. C., & Sharp, R. A. (2024). Independent and interdependent group contingencies to increase on-task work behavior among adults with intellectual disabilities. Behavioral Interventions, e2049. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.2049
Independent and interdependent group contingencies increased on-task work behavior, and the authors did not observe negative interactions associated with interdependent contingencies
Perspectives on Behavior Science
8/23 Passarelli, D.A., Roche, B., Mizael, T.M. et al. Reducing Racial Bias Using a Conflicting Relations Paradigm: A Systematic Replication of Mizael et al. (2016). Behav. Soc. Iss. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-024-00181-6
In a fascinating replication, the authors reduced implicit racial bias by training child participants to pair images of Black faces with "positive" imagery
Behavior Modification *
8/20 Holmedal Byrne, K., & Gustafsson, B. M. (2024). Implementation Study of “Building Resilience,” Including Positive Psychology Interventions and Positive Emotion Regulation Training in Patients With Severe Mental Illness in an Adult Outpatient Psychiatric Mental Health Setting: An Exploratory Clinical Trial. Behavior Modification, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455241269842
(Open access) Details a new group intervention, called Building Resilience, that is focused on regulating emotions; it took place in Sweden with adults with mental health conditions. The intervention was effective by some measures
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior *
8/18 Wearden, J. H. (2024). Meeting of minds: Skinner and Michotte at the International Congress of Psychology, Stockholm, 1951. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.4208
(Open access) A short account, and some excerpts, of Skinner's correspondence with a Belgian psychologist. An interesting footnote that appears to have been underreported
8/19 Gelino, B. W., Strickland, J. C., & Johnson, M. W. (2024). R2 should not be used to describe behavioral-economic discounting and demand models. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.4200
A very strong title for a topic I don't know much about, it reads like NEVER glorp a burg! R2 is a measurement of "goodness of fit," essentially whether data aligns. However, the authors argue that R2 isn't compatible with nonlinear modeling, and delay discounting (k) is typically nonlinear (e.g., delay discounting is on a curve -- short delays result in a minor discount, with longer delays resulting in larger discounting)
Kyonka, E. G. E., & Subramaniam, S. (2024). Tactics of just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive scientific research. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.4201
A wide-ranging discussion of JEDI (aka DEI) practices
8/22 Martinez-Perez, C. N., Ritchey, C. M., Gregory, M. E., Kuroda, T., Gage, N. A., & Podlesnik, C. A. (2024). A parametric manipulation and meta-analysis of target-response punishment on resurgence. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.4206
The authors conducted a translational study to see if punishing target responses reduces later resurgence, which it does not. They also conducted a literature review that supports their finding
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
8/21 Thakore, A.H., Kettering, T.L. Functional Analysis and Treatment of Repetitive Verbal Behavior in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Analysis Verbal Behav (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-024-00208-4
3 children who used repetitive language that appeared to be mands for items or information were treated with an FA and a function-based treatment. In all cases the language was maintained by adult attention, and the behavior was eliminated when the children were taught to ask for attention instead. The supplementary information has a fidelity checklist and a few other forms
Education and Treatment of Children
8/21 McElroy, A.R., Van Stratton, J.E. & Sherlund-Pelfrey, P. A Systematic Review of Explicit Instruction and Frequency Building Interventions to Teach Students to Write. Educ. Treat. Child. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-024-00125-0
The authors do a literature review and find that explicit instruction and timed practice have a significant impact on writing skills
Journal of Behavioral Education
8/21 Levins, P., Gilroy, S.P. Extending Token Economy Systems with the Operant Demand Framework. J Behav Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-024-09556-6
In using operant behavioral economics, the authors find that the applied research on token economies essentially holds true, with regards to preferences and performance
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
8/24 Shared Trauma: Examining the Moderating Role of Parental Psychological Flexibility and Self-Compassion on PTSD and Distress in Refugee Families
(In press) Parents and children fleeing war experience stress and trauma; since parental attitudes influence children, it may be effective to target psychological flexibility and self-compassion in parents
Book publications
Textbooks, handbooks, manuals, or mass-market
Elsevier
Training Human Service Staff: Evidence-Based Strategies for Promoting Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Trainee Acceptance, Reid & Green (Available 9/1)
A Practical Guide to Functional Assessment and Treatment for Severe Problem Behavior, Jessel & Sturmey (Available 11/1)
Routledge
Psychology Essentials for Behavior Analysts, Edited by Toby & Ranade
Writing Skills for Behavior Analysts: A Practical Guide for Students and Clinicians, Edited by Reinecke, Knihtila, Papazian, Heyman & Bratton
Behavior Modification: What It Is and How To Do It, Martin & Pear
Sloan publishing
Reflections on Behaviorism and Society: Extended Edition, 2024, B. F. Skinner
Ethics: Proactive and Practical Decision Making for Behavior Analysts, LeBlanc & Karsten
Perspectives on Neurodiversity and Belonging: Reflections for Behavior Analysts, Dyer, Weiss, Tereshko, & Linnehan (eds.)
2023: A list here
Podcasts
ABA Inside Track
Episode 285 - Grab Bag Summer Slam
Behavioral Observations
The Ethics of Procedural Fidelity: Session 272 with Claire St. Peter
Blogs
Generally these are produced by professionals
ABAI
Pioneers (#5): “The Most Interesting Man in the World”
Tom Critchfield on Ogden Lindsley
“Porn,” Plungers, and Persistence at the Dawn of Human Behavioral Research
Og Lindsley and early human operant research
Pay No Attention to That Self Behind the Curtain
Apparently an illustration of Og Lindsley made someone mad on social media (??)
From Theory to Research & Applications in Organizations and Beyond
Ramona Houmanfar details her interesting career
Behavior/Brain Magazine
Behavior/Brain Magazine August issue
Looks like a new site that publishes short, bloggy articles. I missed this earlier because their email went into my spam folder
Licensing & professional organizations
ASAT
Bleach therapy: is there science behind that?
(No)
Business world
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
Payers Demand Data-Driven Results from Autism Therapy Providers Amid Pressure to Reduce Treatment Hours
But providers collect data and report it to the payers alread– oh, I see.
Accidentally behavior analysis
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
Private equity: health care’s vampire, STAT News
A great, high-level overview of why private equity does not benefit healthcare. Meanwhile, the strongest argument in favor of private equity that I have ever heard (from a person in upper management) amounted to: they invested a lot of money in our business. (I don’t count a certain AI-generated “journal article” as a strong argument)
Continuing education
UPCOMING:
BehaviorLive has a list of events, some of which are free: 9/10 (SUP), 9/10, 9/19 (SUP), 9/25
Flashback
The year is 2020, and if you’ve already forgotten, the global pandemic is in full swing. I have been stuck at home for several months without the knowledge that I will be stuck at home for 2 more years. In the mail, I receive an actual printed copy of “Advancing ABA,” a pamphlet-sized publication that nonetheless excites me with its potential – and I later realize I never received another issue. I recently found the physical copy and looked up the website, which is still online but was never updated again. (bSCI21 didn’t work out either; will Behavior/Brain?)