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 *
6/10 Verriden, A. L., Roscoe, E. M., Rousseau, K. R., Kalles, J., & Cook, J. (2025). Competition and preference in the treatment of automatically reinforced challenging behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70016
Paired-stimulus and competing-stimulus assessments were conducted and then implemented in NCR or DRO. NCR with competing stimuli was most effective at reducing challenging behavior (4/5 participants); DRO was effective with 2/5 participants with no difference between stimuli
Agana, T. R. T., Sidener, T. M., Rodriguez, N. M., Reeve, S. A., & Pane, H. M. (2025). An analysis of the generalization of pretend play from real objects to toys. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70017
(Open access) Autistic kids sometimes don't engage in a typical range of imaginary play, which often comes from observing real activities in their community. The researchers engaged kids in real activities, then tested for generalization with toys, and this was effective
6/13 Gomes, G., Linton, E., & Donaldson, J. M. (2025). Synchronous reinforcement arranged as a group contingency increases rule following in elementary classes. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70018
Synchronous reinforcement is when reinforcement is delivered concurrently with target behavior (e.g., playing music while someone walks on a treadmill). In two classes, synchronous reinforcement resulted in more rule-following and less disruptive behavior. In a control classroom with continuous NCR, no changes in behavior occurred
Behavior Analysis in Practice
6/10 Eslava, V.H., de la Cruz, B., Enriquez, J.S. et al. Se Habla ABA: Four Mexican Women Promoting Behavior Analysis. Behav Analysis Practice (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01072-x
(Open access) The experiences of 4 women in ABA in Mexico; includes advice for forming a community
Perspectives on Behavior Science Volume 48, Issue 2 June 2025 (14 articles, 8 open access) Most intriguing: Dynamic Interactions between Induction and Reinforcement in the Organization of Behavior (Open access)
We liked induction before it was cool
6/9 Espinosa, F.d. A Verbal Behavior Analysis of Theory of Mind: Conceptual and Applied Implications. Perspect Behav Sci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-025-00460-6
"Theory of mind" was an idea proposed by David Premack (of the Premack principle) and became a popular theory of autism in the 90s (e.g., an autistic person may not be able to describe what another person might experience). Espinosa conceptualizes ToM as wholly verbal behavior. This makes sense but raises the question of how certain animals complete ToM tasks
6/11 Graber, J., Graber, A. Applied Behavior Analysis at a Crossroads: Reform, Branding, and the Future of Behavior Analysis. Perspect Behav Sci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-025-00462-4
(Open access) The Grabers argue that changes will beget branding, which will be confusing and fragment the field. Just imagine: you could have someone claiming to engage in a hypothetical branded practice called something like Pivotal Response Training, someone else doing Early Start Denver Model, a third doing Naturalistic Behavioral Developmental Interventions. The Grabers want to avoid this nightmare scenario and suggest a unified big tent
Behavior and Social Issues
6/11 Velazco, A.K., Meshes, E. & Maixner, M.M. From Text to Tote: SMS Nudges to Cut Down Plastic Bag Purchases. Behav. Soc. Iss. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-025-00204-w
Regular SMS prompts reduced plastic bag purchases. What's worse, excessive plastic or excessive texts?
Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions *
6/11 Rila, A., King, S. A., Bruhn, A. L., & Estrapala, S. (2025). Demographic Reporting of Students and Implementation Teams in School-Based Single-Case Research for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Systematic Review. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007251335369
The authors analyzed 140 studies on students with EBD to see if demographic info was included for subjects and for implementers. Some info was provided in most cases, but it was not standardized
Lloyd, B. P., Crowell, G. E., Staubitz, J. L., Weaver, E. S., & Granger, K. L. (2025). Momentary Impacts of Opportunities to Respond and Praise for Students With Persistent Challenging Behavior. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007251335350
(Open access) In a complex observational study, the authors find that students given the opportunity to respond can subsequently increase rates of teacher praise which can subsequently decrease rates of problem behavior
Speight, R., Murphy, L., & Fitzgerald, A. (2025). Impact of CW-FIT on Student Appropriately Engaged Behavior in Two Co-Taught Middle School Classrooms. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007251335356
Classwide interdependent group contingencies were used with two classrooms; each increased engaged behavior, even with classroom teacher modifications
Education and Treatment of Children
6/11 Liddon, C.J., Trapp, W. Reinstatement of Multiple Mands: A Case Study. Educ. Treat. Child. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-025-00160-5
The authors tested if mands in different modalities would be reinstated (e.g., recur after extinction), and they did
The Psychological Record
6/12 Parreiras, G.C., Chimura, W.d.C., Harte, C. et al. Exploring the Dynamics of Relational Responding Using Visual and Auditory Stimuli: Replicating Two Prominent IRAP Effects. Psychol Rec (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-025-00646-z
The IRAP assesses relationships between visual stimuli. The authors used a conventional IRAP, a neutral auditory stimuli version, and an emotionally charged (positive/negative) auditory version. They found similar effects for all three and no major differences
6/13 Sorama, M., Ito, M., Yi, R. et al. Altruism and Social Discounting in Children. Psychol Rec (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-025-00645-0
Over 1,600 kids completed two tasks: a discounting task (smaller reward for themselves, or larger reward to share), and a "prisoner's dilemma" task (cooperate and share, or take everything). The task performance correlated for individuals, and kids engage in less discounting and more cooperation as they age
Baldonado, L., Greer, R.D. Increased Complexity in Incidental Bidirectional Naming Stimulus Control Enhances Reading in First Graders. Psychol Rec (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-025-00644-1
In experiment 1, incidental unidirectional naming (e.g., read-do) strength predicted reading comprehension. In experiment 2, kids who did not experience incidental bidirectional naming (e.g., read-do; see-say) were trained with multiple exemplars, acquired bidrectional naming, and increased reading comprehension scores
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
6/10 Effects of workplace acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) programs on psychological flexibility’s subprocesses: A systematic review
(In press) (Open access) 30 studies on ACT at work find that ACT is effective, most importantly for acceptance and defusion. A co-author is named "Yass Rad"
Patient-reported unwanted events and deterioration rates during acceptance and commitment therapy: A brief report of group therapy for fibromyalgia
(In press) (Open access) In a group ACT treatment for fibromyalgia, about half of respondents reported unwanted events (e.g., unpleasant memories, etc.) but this did not have a relationship to treatment outcomes. The authors hypothesize that this may be a part of the ACT experience. None of the authors is named "Yass Rad"
Adolescents’ Psychological Flexibility and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Exploring Between-Person and Within-Person Association
(In press) Psychological flexibility predicts lower levels of self-injury
Journal of Behaviorology Volume 28, Number 1 (2 articles, 2 open access)
1 article on the Behaviorology website explaining additions to their archives, and 1 article on ethics in animal training
Book publications
Textbooks, handbooks, manuals, or mass-market
Upcoming:
AIM Navigators, Dixon (Pre-order)
A.I.M. Explorers Curriculum Book Volume 2 Mountain Climb, Dixon (Pre-order)
Handbook of Operant Behavioral Economics, Reed, Kaplan & Gilroy (Eds.)
New this quarter:
Ethical Decision Making in Applied Behavior Analysis, Schwartz & Kelly
Leadership and Management Practices in Human Services Organizations, Gardner et al.
Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis for Behavior Technicians and Other Practitioners, 4/E, Wallace & Mayer
Behavior Analysis for Lasting Change, 6/E, Mayer, Wallace, & Sulzer-Azaroff
Using Functional Analysis in Psychotherapy, Niklas Törneke
Handbook for Behavioral Skills Training, Edition 1, Sturmey & Maffei-Almodovar
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
Episode 312 - IOA
Behavioral Observations
AI, Applied Behavior Analysis, and the Future of Clinical Tools: Frontera Series on AI with Sydney Holmes
Blogs
Generally these are produced by professionals
ABAI
Can You Teach Mental Imagery to Someone Who Lacks It?
Maybe
Management and the ‘New Science’[1]: Part Two
What if leadership is better with less?
Licensing & professional organizations
ASAT
Rejected, Revised, Resilient: The Ultimate Path of a Peer-Reviewed Paper
What happens to a paper that isn't part of a paper mill?
ASAN
Tell the Senate – no cuts to Medicaid in their budget!
Business world
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
Clinical Excellence Drives Business Success in Autism Services
Ok, sure, I hear you, but -- and listen to this -- what if we just did stock buybacks?
Accidentally behavior analysis
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
SCOTUS’s Conservative Majority Rules in Favor of Disability Rights, Mother Jones
This story doesn’t seem to have gotten much coverage in the news – it’s been a busy month – but this has potential implications. We say potential because 8 years ago the court eliminated the de minimis standard that established that kids with special needs only needed to make minimal progress in school, and we’re not certain of any groundbreaking changes. In any case, this new case says that litigants need not prove “bad faith and gross misjudgment” to sue schools.
Continuing education
UPCOMING:
BehaviorLive is back to posting free events: 6/25, 6/26
