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 *
8/28 Goodwin, S., Kirby, K. C., & Raiff, B. R. (2024). Evolution of the substance use landscape: Implications for contingency management. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.2911
(Open access) Contingency management (CM) is one of the most effective treatments available for addiction treatment, and it is basically a token economy. The authors discuss the new challenges faced in implementing CM in changing times (legalization of some drugs, synthetic drugs, etc.)
Behavior Analysis in Practice
8/26 Littin, S.L., Isenhower, R.W., Sloman, K.N. et al. Using Programmed Schedules of Reinforcement to Increase the Variability of Reinforcer Delivery in Classroom Assistant-Implemented Variable-Ratio Schedules. Behav Analysis Practice (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00963-9
VR schedules are generally more effective in increasing desired behaviors, but can be a challenge to accurately implement. The authors used programmed schedules (basically just printed the number of trials per reinforcer) which increased the fidelity of the schedules
Behavioral Interventions *
8/26 Hauksdóttir, S., Sveinbjörnsdóttir, B., & Steingrímsdóttir, H. S. (2024). The effects of goal setting, notification alerts, and sharing results with peers on smartphone usage. Behavioral Interventions, e2050. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.2050
Goal setting and turning off notifications reduced problematic smartphone usage for 5/7 participants; sharing information with peers about usage had no effect. Return to baseline found that usage increased
8/31 Brown, A., Cariveau, T., Lewis, T. K., & Ellington, P. (2024). An evaluation of convergent intraverbal instruction on tacts of features, function, or class. Behavioral Interventions, e2054. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.2054
4 children with language difficulties played a game where convergent intraverbals (e.g., "tell me a red fruit that grows on trees") were alternated with tacts; performance on convergent intraverbals did not consistently predict performance on tacts
Perspectives on Behavior Science
8/30 Falligant, J.M., Hagopian, L.P. & Newland, M.C. Bouts, Pauses, and Units of Operant Performance: A Primer. Perspect Behav Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-024-00419-z
(Open access) The authors give a primer on IRT between responses within bouts (due to organismic limitations), and IRT between bouts (due to motivation)
Behavior and Social Issues
8/27 Reis, A., Borba, A., Cihon, T.M. et al. A Behavioral Systems Approach to a Brazilian Restorative Justice Organization. Behav. Soc. Iss. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-024-00182-5
Brazil has implemented a restorative justice approach, and the authors analyze the approach through the lens of a total performance system and find some deficiencies (such as a lack of feedback mechanisms)
Berner, S., Lloveras, L., Vadakal, S. et al. Prevalence of Needle Phobia Treatments for Participants with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Behav. Soc. Iss. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-024-00180-7
Through a literature review the authors determine that people with special needs are typically a small fraction of any study of needle phobia
Behavior Modification *
8/26 Chen, J., Feleppa, C., Sun, T., Sasagawa, S., Smithson, M., & Leach, L. (2024). School Refusal Behaviors: The Roles of Adolescent and Parental Factors. Behavior Modification, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455241276414
(Open access) A significant finding in a questionnaire regarding school refusal behavior is that parents have worse emotional regulation, suggesting that training parents in effective strategies for emotional regulation may reduce such behaviors
Education and Treatment of Children
8/29 Buckman, M.M., Lane, K.L., Royer, D.J. et al. Enhancing Ci3T Professional Learning: Initial Lessons Learned from Ci3T Implementers. Educ. Treat. Child. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-024-00127-y
The authors discuss the design process for developing teacher training modules for PBIS
Journal of Behavioral Education
8/26 Zimmerman, D.M., Najafichaghabouri, M., Joslyn, P.R. et al. Social and Ecological Validity of the Good Behavior Game: A Systematic Review. J Behav Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-024-09562-8
In a literature review of 51 articles, the authors find that the Good Behavior Game is often used to target goals that were identified informally at the start of the experiment, and that social validity for students is mixed
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
8/30 An acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness group intervention for the psychological and physical well-being of adults with body mass indexes in the overweight or obese range: the Mind&Life randomized controlled trial
(In press) An ACT intervention worked more effectively than treatment-as-usual in encouraging healthy eating
Limited effects of phone coaching in an RCT of online self-guided acceptance and commitment therapy for chronic pain
(Open access) (In press) Phone coaching did not impact an online ACT treatment. More studies finding null effects should be published
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
Handbook of Organizational Performance, Volume I: Foundations and Advances, Edited by Douglas Johnson & C Merle Johnson (Available 8/30)
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 286 - (LISTENER CHOICE) Quality Control in the ABA Service Industry
Behavioral Observations
The Importance of Theory and Philosophy: Session 273 with Carol Pilgrim and Tim Hackenberg
Building Better Businesses in ABA
Episode 93: Behavior Live: The Business of ABA with Mellanie Page
ABA Technologies
Animal Behavior Training with Adam Geltz
Blogs
Generally these are produced by professionals
ABAI
Teaching with Blogs: Making Behavior Analysis More Accessible to Students
Mirari Elcoro recommends using blogs as tools of dissemination. I should start doing that
The Hall of Really Good People in Behavior Analysis: Matt O’Brien
A tale of a good Matt
I Don’t Care What your Role is in Behavior Analysis. You Gotta Watch This Film.
The history of behavior analysis from Ryan O'Donnell. You can also check out the Bailey Interviews on this channel, and while pretty great, the audio and video is not
Steve Hayes
What Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Research Tells Us: Four Lessons From 1000 Randomized Controlled Trials in ACT
A summary of this (open access) article: 1.) ACT goes beyond psychological disorders; 2.) We've learned from low- and middle-income countries; 3.) Mental resilience can be supported in many ways; and 4.) We need to consider non-indexed studies
OAR
Empowering Autistic Children Toward Independence: Key Daily Living Skills
OAR and AIR-P Announce the 2024 Community Grant Recipients
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
ASAN
ASAN Mourns the Loss of Steve Silberman
OBM Network 2024 Newsletter
Some news about leadership in the OBM Network
Business world
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
Case-Rate Payment Plan Highlights Challenges of Advancing Alternative Payment Models
An interesting illustration of the barriers to alternative payment arrangements, such as value-based care. An organization called Catalight attempted to roll out some kind of flat-fee idea, but was met with skepticism from providers who felt like it was a way to cut payments. And it does, in fact, seem to be a priority to Catalight -- they want more parent participation and less provider participation
Accidentally behavior analysis
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
Oklahoma students are missing class and failing in reading. What's happening?, The Oklahoman
This article is a mess.
[State Education Secretary Nelly] Sanders thinks it’s time the state addresses that issue by taking a deep dive into the myriad of ways students learn. The one-size-fits-all style of teaching, she says, clearly isn’t working.
Learning styles are a myth. And considering that many countries effectively teach literacy skills, are they doing so with a hyper-individualized curriculum? (also “myriad of”)
“This is not necessarily a school problem. This is a community problem,” says new Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Polk. “I’m producing graduates in order for them to be ready for the workforce. Chronic absenteeism in the school is going to be a chronically absent employee.”
She almost had me with “community problem,” except what she means is that these are kids that won’t be showing up for their shift at the Amazon fulfillment center. Perhaps her confusion with the purpose of her job is reflected in the achievement of her students.
“Some kids are more kinesthetic learners,” Farris said.
Ah yes, kinesthetic learning is why I read this article while running headfirst into a cinderblock wall.
Sanders gushes in her praise of teachers, but said they often don’t enter the classroom prepared to deal with the issues necessary to reach all students. Many, she says, come from markedly different backgrounds and with different styles of learning. Through no fault of their own, “they don’t have the tools they need.”
Learning styles, still not real. I agree though, sad when teachers don’t have the tools they need. If only a person, for example the State Education Secretary, knew where to acquire tools for teachers. Alas!
That [science of reading] research, [Kathren Stehno] said, “has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.”
This lady gets it but she doesn’t work for the state? Ah well, I’m sure Oklahoma will figure out things with their children/employees.
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 rate of learning is independent from the length of the task to be learned.” Gilbert dedicated most of his career to designing human instruction, and he called his system mathetics. What is mathetics? It’s a long story, but I’m sure we’ll get to it soon.