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 *
9/26 Yassa, R. R., Mitteer, D. R., Greer, B. D., Angley, S. M., McCabe, L. H., & Elwasli, O. M. (2024). Teaching trainees to implement functional communication training with multiple schedules: An evaluation of training effects and durability. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.2915
The authors used BST to effectively teach six participants to implement FCT. The authors then used analogue challenges to the training (e.g., in the training, engaged in new challenging behavior) which caused treatment fidelity to degrade for all participants. With more training, all participants increased fidelity
Behavior Analysis in Practice
9/23 Coleman, D.N., Blake, J., Martinez, J.C. et al. Increasing Sight-Word Reading Through Peer-Mediated Strategic Incremental Rehearsal. Behav Analysis Practice (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00989-z
Strategic incremental rehearsal is a flash-card intervention for struggling readers; this study had peer tutors implement the strategy at an after school program. The kids who participated read more words and approved of the intervention
Campos, C., Bloom, S.E., Weyman, J.R. et al. La Lengua del Oyente: Some Effects of Listener Language on Hispanic Children’s Vocal Verbal Behavior. Behav Analysis Practice (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00984-4
9 out of 10 bilingual children matched their speech to the native speech of a listener (e.g., spoke English to English speakers). The authors argue that bilingual support in classrooms may be necessary, or children risk losing their second language in favor of English
9/24 Garcia, A.R., Bloom, S.E., Campos, C. et al. Training Parents to Implement Trial-Based Functional Analyses: A Partial Replication and Extension with Elementary-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behav Analysis Practice (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00980-8
Parents were effectively trained with BST to conduct FAs
Behavioral Interventions *
9/23 Hozella, W., Ampuero, M.E. & Miklos, M. A Tutorial on the Applications of Lowenkron’s Joint Control to Language Acquisition Programs. Perspect Behav Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-024-00424-2
Joint Control is when a verbal behavior exerts control over another behavior -- for example, if you are looking for a book, you may "repeat the title to yourself." The authors describe how to teach these types of responses
Bank, N.L., Ingvarsson, E.T. A Call to Investigate and Improve the Research Literacy of Professional Behavior Analysts. Perspect Behav Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-024-00422-4
The authors describe how to find, access, evaluate, and apply research, as well as barriers and solutions
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior *
9/26 Peck, S., & Madden, G. J. (2024). Validation of a novel effort-discounting assessment and evaluation of the effort-delay confound on effort discounting. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.4214
Most choice research focuses on delay discounting; the authors discuss effort discounting, and in particular how effortful tasks can complicate the measurement of delay (e.g., some effortful tasks take longer, increasing both effort and delay). Supplemental material here
Podlesnik, C. A., & Baum, W. M. (2024). Understanding resurgence and other emergent activity with the laws of allocation, induction, and covariance. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.4212
Baum wrote a classic article on allocation, induction, and covariance where he posits that these three laws generally explain almost all behavior
Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions *
9/23 Gerow, S., Exline, E., Swafford, L., Cosottile, D., Conroy, M., Machalicek, W., Davis, T. N., Wei, Q., & James, A. (2024). Addressing Challenging Behavior and Social–Emotional Skills in Home-Based Services: A Systematic Review. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007241276423
In a literature review, 26 single-case and 31 group design publications were found. The most common interventions were positive reinforcement, FCT, and antecedent interventions. The publications that met inclusion standards had moderate to strong effects
Education and Treatment of Children
9/24 Wilson, J.D., Federico, C.A., Perrin, J. et al. Measuring Indices of Happiness and Their Relation to Challenging Behavior. Educ. Treat. Child. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-024-00129-w
The authors found that different indices of happiness could be predictive of topographies of problem behaviors when given specific demands for one subject
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
9/27 Gohari, D., Schiltz, H. & Lord, C. A Longitudinal Study of Aggression in People with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06559-0
(Open access) In a longitudinal study of autistic people, 42% of their sample displayed aggression in adulthood, particularly in the home. Risk factors include lower nonverbal IQ and more repetitive behaviors. Aggression at school age was predictive of aggression in adulthood
Breider, S., de Bildt, A., Greaves-Lord, K. et al. Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviors in Referred Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06567-0
(Open access) In an RCT, an in-person parent training condition was superior to a hybrid (telehealth/in-person) condition. While there is evidence in favor of telehealth from the early 2000s (due to quirks of Iowa -- being rural and having a state-wide fiber optic network), this study lends evidence to the effectiveness of in-person training
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
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
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
When Text Speaks: Learning to Read & Reading to Learn, Ross & Greer
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 1015 - (SUPERVISION) Discipline Without Punishment Book Club
Behavior Analysis in Practice BAPCast
S7E3: The Basics of CBM: What BCBA’s Need to Know with Kate LaLonde
Behavioral Observations
Lessons from Implementing PFA/SBT: Session 276 with Tony Cammilleri
Blogs
Generally these are produced by professionals
ABAI
Forgotten History of Behavior Science (#4): Assorted Gems and Curiosities, Courtesy of the Cambridge Center
Highly recommended! Read the one about how behavior analysis may have influenced the Unabomber (sort of)
The (Political) Organism is Always Right (#4): Contingencies of Discord
Tom Critchfield has some good takes on politics
The Power of Lies and the First Amendment
David Palmer takes on lying, liars, and politicians (but I repeat myself)
OAR
Press Release: OAR Creates Children’s Library of Autism Books with Jewelers for Children
120 books available
Licensing & professional organizations
APBA
Call for papers and upcoming conference
BF Skinner Foundation
Skinner session on 10/25
Includes conversations from top behaviorists
BACB
The Call for Nominations for the 2025 Michael Hemingway Behavior Analysis Award is Now Open
Business world
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
Pediatric mental health startup to pivot, lay off clinicians
Telehealth has upsides: no overhead cost for a clinic, clinicians can work from home, parents can connect at their leisure, and it can attract people in distant or rural areas. It is proven effective, though perhaps less so than in-person meetings (see this week’s JADD article above). While telehealth exploded in popularity during the pandemic, it's clear that people...don't like it much. Is this a harbinger that telehealth, as a standalone business model, is untenable (for private equity, anyway)? Maybe VR is the future [ed. note: it is not, in fact, the future]
Accidentally behavior analysis
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
Towards an Integrated Analytical Psychology: Return to Freedom and Dignity, By Matthew Bennett
“Return to freedom and dignity” caught my attention. “Beyond Freedom and Dignity” (simply as a phrase) had a polarizing effect for some people, who were sometimes downright undignified in their replies to Skinner.
Bennett is employed by the Pacifica Graduate Institute, which has this to say about its degree in Jungian studies:
A remarkable thing about Jung’s work is that so little of it is out of date. Much of the last century’s behaviorally oriented research involving mice, pigeons, and calculators is of no use anymore, if it ever was. But Jung cast light on so many hidden essentials of human nature that, if anything, his work grows more relevant as time goes on—and as mainstream psychology and psychiatry succumb to a Procrustean infatuation with what can be counted and measured.
And apparently from the dust jacket of Dr. Bennett’s upcoming fanfic:
The hostility towards evidence may well be a subconscious reaction to the absolutely incomprehensible drama that has engulfed their university. Or maybe it’s daddy issues.
Continuing education
UPCOMING:
BehaviorLive has a list of events, some of which are free: 10/3 (ETH), 10/10, 10/14 (ETH), 10/15 (ETH), 10/29, 10/30 (SUP)
Flashback
Programmed Instruction, teaching machines, military training camps, and instructional designers: have they had any lasting impact? Should they? What about the barely-Googleable “mathetics”? Click the link above to see a training method that could have been.