ABA Inside Track

We're coming around the bend and heading into summer, but, before that, we've got too many episodes to count without using all of your fingers. Special guests Dr. Claudia Dozier and Dr. Sarah Lechago will be joining us to talk about applications of synchronous reinforcement and research on diversity, equity, and inclusion coming out of the BADIE Lab. In between those discussions we look at a variety of angles on mand training and explore some behavior assessments we didn't know existed. Finally, we get very skeptical about the world in our latest book club reviewing Calling Bullshit. All this and a puppy joins the show for better ratings.

Articles for May 2023

Synchronous Reinforcement w/ Dr. Claudia Dozier

Diaz de Villegas, S.C., Dozier, C.L., Jess, R.L., & Foley, E.A. (2020). An evaluation of synchronous reinforcement for increasing on-task behaviro in preschool children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53, 1660-1673. doi: 10.1002/jaba.696

McHugh, C.L., Dozier, C.L., Diaz de Villegas, S.C., & Kanaman, N.A. (2022). Using synchronous reinforcement to increase mask wearing in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55, 1157-1171. doi: 10.1002/jaba.950

Behavior Assessments You Didn't Know Existed

Knollman, M., Reissner, V., & Hebebrand, J. (2019). Towards a comprehensive assessment of school absenteeism: Development and initial validation of the inventory of school attendance problems. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 28, 399-414. doi: 10.1007/s00787-018-1204-2

Lloyd-Richardson, E.E., Perrine, N., Dierker, L. & Kelley, M.L. (2007). Characteristics and functions of non-suicidal self-injury in a community sample of adolescents. Psychological Medicine, 37, 1183-1192. doi: 10.1017/S003329170700027X

Klonsky, E.D. & Glenn, C.R. (2009). Assessing the functions of non-suicidal self-injury: Psychometric properties of the Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (ISAS). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavior Assessment, 31, 215-219. doi: 10.1007/s10862-008-9107-z

Mand Training

Bourret, J., Vollmer, T.R., & Rapp, J.T. (2004). Evaluation of a vocal mand assessment and vocal mand training procedures. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 129-144. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2004.37-129

Suberman, R. & Cividini-Motta, C. (2020). Teaching caregivers to implement mand training using speech generating devices. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53, 1097-1110. doi: 10.1002/jaba.630

Ward, S.N., Hanley, G.P., Warner, C.A., & Gage, E.E. (2021). Does teaching an omnibus mand preclude the development of specifying mands? Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54, 248-269. doi: 10.1002/jaba.784

Research Applications in DEI w/ Dr. Sarah Lechago

Oda, F.S., Lechago, S.A., da Silva, B.E., & Hunt, J.C. (2022). An experimental analysis of gender-biased verbal behavior and self-editing using an online chat analog. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 118, 24-45. doi: 10.1002/jeab.763

Bosch-Greer, D.J., Lechago, S.A., & McCarville, M.J. (in prep). Training behavior analysis graduate students to work with an interpreter.

Calling Bullshit Book Club

Bergstrom, C.T. & West, J.D. (2020). Calling bullshit. Random House.

Enjoy a short preview of our latest full-length Book Club episode. Want to hear the whole thing and get 2 CEs for free? Subscribe to our Patreon today at the premium $10+ levels for that plus other bonuses!

You'd think living in such a big-data obsessed world, that behavior analysts would be enjoying some of the most fact-filled, objective times of their lives. Unfortunately, more data means more problems, especially when those gathering and publishing the data seem determined to sell you a heaping load of bullshit. For our Spring 2023 Book Club, we get skeptical of all this precious data by reading Bergstrom and West's "Calling Bullshit". We dive into what makes bullshit, how to identify it, and, most importantly, how to call it out and make the world a better place.

Content discussed in this episode

Bergstrom, C.T. & West, J.D. (2020). Calling bullshit. Random House.

To download the whole epiosde plus a code for 2 free CEs, just subscribe to our Patreon at the $10+ levels.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

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As much fun as listening to a professor lecture at us for multiple hours a week in a giant university hall is, does this form of college course actually educate anyone? This week Dr. Kendra Guinness joins us to discuss the past, present, and future of behavioral instruction in teaching college courses. We review some of the classic forms of personalized systems of instruction before looking at how technology is (or perhaps isn't) pushing these tools into the classroom...and why everyone might not be excited with the results.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Bernstein, D. & Chase, P.N. (2013). Contributions of behavior analysis to higher education. In G.J. Madden (Ed.), APA handbook of behavior analysis ( Vol. 2): Translating principles into practice (pp. 523-543). American Psychological Association. doi: 10.1037/13938-021

Guinness, K.E., Chase, P.N., Turner, K.S., & Axe, J.B. (2023). Effects of behavioral instruction and feedback checklists on graphing conventions. Journal of Behavioral Education. doi: 10.1007/s10864-022-09505-1

Mason, L.L., Rivera, C.J., & Arriaga, A. (2017). The effects of an avoidance contingency on postsecondary student SAFMEDS performance. European Journal of Behavior Analysis. doi: 10.1080/15021149.2017.1418125

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

To listen for the fun of learning? Just push play!

Email us at [email protected] for further assistance.

While we all love a good snack, and we can all agree the we'd do almost anything for a Klondike bar, there's more to life than food. So why do behavior analysts get stuck on using edibles as the be all and end all of reinforcement in behavior acquisition? This week, we take a look at the research to see if edible reinforcers really should be selling like hotcakes or if there's more to reinforcement than chocolate-covered potato chips.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Ciccone, F.J., Graff, R.B., & Ahearn, W.H. (2006). Stimulus preference assessments and the utility of a moderate category. Behavioral Intervention, 21, 59-63. doi: 10.1002/bin.190

Clark, S.B., Call, N.A., Simmons, C.A., Scheithauer, M.C., Muething, C.S., & Parks, N. (2020). Effects of magnitude on the displacment of leisure items by edible items during preference assessments. Behavior Modification, 44, 727-745. doi: 10.1177/0145445519843937

Fahmie, T.A., Iwata, B.A., & Jann, K.E. (2015). Comparison of edible and leisure reinforcers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48, 331-343. doi: 10.1002/jaba.200

Gover, H.C., Fahmie, T.A., & McKeown, C.A. (2019). A review of environmental enrichment as treatment for problem behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 52, 299-314. doi: 10.1002/jaba.508

NOTE: This episode is no longer available for CEs.

You know what is behavior analysis....and what is pseudoscience.

You know what is Inside Track...and what is outside track.

You know what is grab bag...and what is a single topic episode.

Now, forget all you know...or think you know.

Articles discussed this episode:

Gale, C.M., Eikeseth, S., & Eikeseth, F.F. (2023). Effects of enthusastic and non-enthusiastic voice in praise on the behavior of children with autism and typically developing children. Behavioral Interventions, 38, 26-38. doi: 10.1002/bin.1901

Bohan, C., Smyth, S., & McDowell, C. (2021). An evaluation of the caught being good game with an adolescent student population. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 23, 42-52. doi: 10.1177/1098300720928455

Ghai, J.L., Lehr, D.H., Harayama, N.E., Spooner, F., & Protopopova, A. (2022). Animal-assisted interventions as an adjunct to ABA services: Clinician practices and perceptions. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 659-676. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00605-4

So the worst season is upon us, but we're still raring to podcast about behavior analysis. This month in between gardening and umbrella-buying, we're planning a good ol' bevy of discussions on topics such as moving away from edible reinforcement in programming and behavioral instruction with special guest, Dr. Kendra Guinness, plus (for Patreon subscribers) our whole discussion of "Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World" by Bergstrom and West. At least it's warm enough for another dip into the grab bag to round out the month.

Articles for April 2023

Grab Bag Gab

Gale, C.M., Eikeseth, S., & Eikeseth, F.F. (2023). Effects of enthusastic and non-enthusiastic voice in praise on the behavior of children with autism and typically developing children. Behavioral Interventions, 38, 26-38. doi: 10.1002/bin.1901

Bohan, C., Smyth, S., & McDowell, C. (2021). An evaluation of the caught being good game with an adolescent student population. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 23, 42-52. doi: 10.1177/1098300720928455

Ghai, J.L., Lehr, D.H., Harayama, N.E., Spooner, F., & Protopopova, A. (2022). Animal-assisted interventions as an adjunct to ABA services: Clinician practices and perceptions. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 659-676. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00605-4

Moving Away from Edible Reinforcers

Ciccone, F.J., Graff, R.B., & Ahearn, W.H. (2006). Stimulus preference assessments and the utility of a moderate category. Behavioral Intervention, 21, 59-63. doi: 10.1002/bin.190

Clark, S.B., Call, N.A., Simmons, C.A., Scheithauer, M.C., Muething, C.S., & Parks, N. (2020). Effects of magnitude on the displacment of leisure items by edible items during preference assessments. Behavior Modification, 44, 727-745. doi: 10.1177/0145445519843937

Fahmie, T.A., Iwata, B.A., & Jann, K.E. (2015). Comparison of edible and leisure reinforcers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48, 331-343. doi: 10.1002/jaba.200

Gover, H.C., Fahmie, T.A., & McKeown, C.A. (2019). A review of environmental enrichment as treatment for problem behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 52, 299-314. doi: 10.1002/jaba.508

Behavioral Instruction w/ Dr. Kendra Guinness

Bernstein, D. & Chase, P.N. (2013). Contributions of behavior analysis to higher education. In G.J. Madden (Ed.), APA handbook of behavior analysis ( Vol. 2): Translating principles into practice (pp. 523-543). American Psychological Association. doi: 10.1037/13938-021

Guinness, K.E., Chase, P.N., Turner, K.S., & Axe, J.B. (2023). Effects of behavioral instruction and feedback checklists on graphing conventions. Journal of Behavioral Education. doi: 10.1007/s10864-022-09505-1

Mason, L.L., Rivera, C.J., & Arriaga, A. (2017). The effects of an avoidance contingency on postsecondary student SAFMEDS performance. European Journal of Behavior Analysis. doi: 10.1080/15021149.2017.1418125

Spring 2023 Book Club

Bergstrom, C.T. & West, J.D. (2020). Calling bullshit: The art of skepticism in a data-driven world. Random House.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

To listen for the fun of learning? Just push play!

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When providing services, clinicians spend so much time complaining that our clients don't what we tell them fast enough that we often find ourselves tracking "non-compliance" as a beahvior of change. But what if instead of seeing "non-compliance" as a problem behavior, we thought of it as a removal of treatment assent? This week Dr. Haley Steinhauser and Alex Kishbaugh join us to discuss the importance of assessing and gaining client consent in our practice and how signalling "no" isn't a problem, but a skill.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Kishbaugh, A., Steinhauser, H.M.K., & Bird, F.L. (2022, September 29). Rethinking non-compliance as a skill and promoting self-advocacy. Autism Spectrum News. Retrieved from Autism Spectrum News.

Morris, C., Detrick, J.J., & Peterson, S.M. (2021). Participant assent in behavior analytic research: Considerations for participants with autism and developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54, 1300-1316. doi: 10.1002/jaba.859

Rajaraman, A., Hanley, G.P., Gover, H.C., Staubitz, J.L., Staubitz, J.E., Simcoe, K.M., & Metras, R. (2022). Minimizing escalation by treating dangerous problem behavior within an enhanced choice model. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 219-242. doi: 10:1007/s40617-020-00548-2

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

To listen for the fun of learning? Just push play!

Email us at [email protected] for further assistance.

As a follow up to Episode 219, we continue our discussion of the harms of conversion therapy by behavior analysis in the 1970s by covering the remaining research articles published in JABA on the subject. Bringing his ever-detailed additional context is Book Club Guy, Alan Haberman, who helps us look at whether this research deserves its own expressions of concern (or is just inappropriate and gross) and which ethical principles we should focus on to ensure client rights are never violated by behavior analysis again. Plus, some time out to laud those behavior analysts who spoke out against this line of research back as it was originally being published.

This episode is available for 1.0 ETHICS CEU.

Wish that Ethics CE was free? Subscribe on our Patreon page to see the full recording and get a discount for 100% off your purchase.

Articles discussed this episode:

Barlow, D.H. & Agras, W.S. (1973). Fading to increase heterosexual responsiveness in homosexuals. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 6, 355-366. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1973.6-355

Abel, G.G., Blanchard, E.B., Barlow, D.H., & Mavissakalian, M. (1975). Identifying specific erotic cues in sexual deviations by audiotaped descriptions. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 8, 247-260. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1975.8-247

Nordyke, N.S., Baer, D.M., Etzel, B.C., & LeBlanc, J.M. (1977). Implications of the stereotyping and modiication of sex role. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 553-557. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1977.10-553

Rekers, G.A. (1977). Atypical gender development and psychosocial adjustment (1977). Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 559-571. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1977.10-559

Winkler, R.C. (1977). What types of sex-role behavior should behavior modifiers promote? Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 549-552. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1977.10-549

Association for Behavior Analysis International. (2022). Statement on conversion therapy and practices. Portage, MI: Author.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

To listen for the fun of learning? Just push play!

Email us at [email protected] for further assistance.

Did you ever have one of those weird funtional analyses? You know, the one where all the problem behavior happens in the control condition or responding remains strangely variable during the escape condition even though the client's teacher swears he tantrums every single time she presents any work? This week we seek answers as to what to do when your FA results look like the world's most volatile stock prices by exploring idiosyncratic variables and how to find them. Plus, could the IISCA be the most idiosyncratic FA process of all? And one of Rob's favorite articles, discussed here becuase we didn't know where else to put it.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Coffey, A.L., Shawler, L.A., Jessel, J., Nye, M.L., Bain, T.A., & Dorsey, M.F. (2020). Interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA): Novel interpretations and future directions. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 13, 217-225. doi: 10.1007/s40617-019-00348-3

Querim, A.C., Iwata, B.A., Roscoe, E.M., Schlichenmeyer, K.J., Ortega, J.V., & Hurl, K.E. (2013). Functional analysis screening for problem behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 47-60. doi: 10.1002/jaba.26

Schlichenmeyer, K.J., Roscoe, E.M., Rooker, G.W., Wheeler, E.E., & Dube, W.V. (2013). Idiosyncratic variables that affect functional analysis outcomes: A review (2001-2010). doi: 10.1002/jaba.12

Jesel, J., Hanley, G.P., & Ghaemmaghami, M. (2016). Interview-informed synthesized contingency analyses: Thirty replications and reanalysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 576-595. doi: 10.1002/jaba.316

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

To listen for the fun of learning? Just push play!

Email us at [email protected] for further assistance.

While behavior analysts love to collect data to assess whether or not a client is reaching a specific target goal, have you ever stoped to wonder what information would need to be collected to determine whether or not specific services are "working"? Well, wonder less because our special guest, Dr. Ivy Chong, shares stories from her time as chair of the ICHOM team developing a standard set to measure autism outcomes globally. We discuss the weirdly complex process of measuring healthcare outcomes, what measures are worth measuring, and just how much work goes into leading a global initiative.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Mainz, J. (2003). Defining and classifying clinical indicators for quality improvement. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 15, 523-530. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzg081

International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement. (2022). Patient-centered outcome measures Autism spectrum disorder. ICHOM Connect.https://connect.ichom.org/patient-centered-outcome-measures/autism-spectrum-disorder/

Kaplan, B. (2018). Value-based health care [PowerPoint slides]. Harvard Law School.

deSilva, D. (2014, March). Helping measure person-centred care. The Health Foundation.https://www.health.org.uk