{"title":"I am a Behavior Analyst and an Advocate for ABA: Are you?","authors":"William H Ahearn","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00470-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00470-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Behavior analysis and applied behavior analysis (ABA) have had many opponents since their inception. These opponents present challenges to the understanding and acceptance of our perspective and our professional practice. Asserting that behavior is a product of environmental circumstances is in opposition to our everyday language understanding of the cause of a person's behavior in that their behavior is determined not autonomous. From a clinical perspective this leads to finding environmental causes and then engineering procedures to produce socially meaningful change in behavior. This piece discusses some challenges from internal critics who place their brand of service above ABA.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"48 3","pages":"655-660"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12411383/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seven Dimensions Are Not Enough: Actively Disseminating Applied Behavior Analysis.","authors":"Ronnie Detrich, Thomas S Critchfield","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00469-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00469-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Within a popular seven-dimension framework, applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions have historically been characterized by a focus on socially important <i>behaviors</i>. We propose that an intervention does not truly count as applied until it is being widely used and the world has improved in some meaningful way as a result. This perspective places active dissemination of ABA, with the goal of promoting adoption, on equal footing with other defining features, making it functionally ABA's eighth dimension. According to this perspective, much of the work from ABA first 6 decades qualifies as pilot or developmental, with widespread adoption yet to be achieved. Successful dissemination will require some changes to ABA's <i>modus operandi</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"48 3","pages":"677-688"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12411331/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Twiddling Bits.","authors":"Peter R Killeen","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00467-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00467-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Among the many excellent presentations and posters of this conference, I was tasked with making sense of two of the most esoteric. This is my meat and potatoes. I hasten to add that they are not esoteric because they are peripheral; <i>au contraire</i>, they are central. They are only esoteric because you have to be an intellectual searcher to delve into them. In the face of them, they are formidable; but, relax, and contemplate them, and they are most intellectually gratifying. McDowell shows us how, through the same sort of selection processes that both animals and their habits are subject to, the basic laws of behavior arise. This is foundational-where do our laws come from?-McDowell gives us a glimpse. Cox tells us what those laws do; or don't. He demonstrates these in the contexts that matter-very large data sets form the world of action-where our cloistered predictions may be evaluated, and improved. His Natural Language Programming Machines provide visions of what we say and do that can only be seen at this higher level. If we are to move our field to higher relevance, this is the way.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"49 1","pages":"233-247"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13013719/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147522223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advancing a Research Agenda for Trauma-informed Care in Behavior Analysis.","authors":"Jennifer L Austin","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00464-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00464-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Trauma-informed care (TIC) refers to the guiding principles that inform how organizations or individuals arrange services with respect to acknowledging both the prevalence and potential effects of trauma on the people they support. Discussions about TIC have become increasingly prevalent in applied behavior analysis in recent years, suggesting that the topic is relevant to both our science and practice. However, research evaluating the degree to which TIC values are embedded in applied behavior-analytic work, and the relative benefits and potential costs of doing so, has been lacking. The purpose of this article is to provide some suggestions about how we might begin to fill that gap.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"48 3","pages":"567-576"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12411350/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Instant Behavioral Pharmacology: How to Conduct a Multiple-Baseline Experiment with Animals in under an Hour.","authors":"Tom Byrne","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00465-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00465-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acquiring proficiency with single-case experimental designs is a critical part of behavior-analytic training. Here, I describe a simple multiple baseline-design experiment that can be conducted during a single classroom meeting using planarians as an animal model. Planarians, aquatic flatworms, are inexpensive to acquire and maintain, and they are often exempt from Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee oversight, making them ideal subjects for laboratory experimentation. The classroom demonstration takes advantage of the flatworm's reliable movement from a lighted to a dark side of a Petri dish. This negative phototaxis results in reasonably stable baselines against which the behavioral effects of drugs may be tested. The procedures are flexible, and I describe several possible extensions for both training and research. Following the procedures described, students gain firsthand experience in experimental design, graphing, and data analysis. The activity also serves students as an empirical introduction to behavioral pharmacology.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"48 4","pages":"897-908"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12811173/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145999203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alceu Regaço, Colin Harte, Dermot Barnes-Holmes, Julio C de Rose
{"title":"Reflecting upon Similarities and Differences among the IAT, the IRAP, and the FAST: Searching for Clarity.","authors":"Alceu Regaço, Colin Harte, Dermot Barnes-Holmes, Julio C de Rose","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00466-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00466-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The development of procedures to assess the psychological functions of stimuli has long been a prevalent endeavor in psychological science. It can be argued that one of the most influential of such procedures is the implicit association test (IAT), which was conceived as a measure of implicit attitudes within social-cognitive psychology. Two other procedures, developed within a behavior-analytic theoretical framework, were inspired by the IAT: the implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP) and the function acquisition speed test (FAST). The current article aims to thoroughly describe and compare the IAT, the IRAP and the FAST, focusing on their procedural characteristics and theoretical backgrounds, before then considering theoretical implications specific to each procedure. Finally, we briefly reflect on a number of theoretical implications that arose from the foregoing comparisons. In so doing, several points of contact and departure are highlighted. We conclude by advocating for an equitable and comprehensive evaluation of these methodologies when considering their use within the experimental analysis of human behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"48 4","pages":"827-847"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12811194/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145999279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"International Development of Applied Behavior Analysis as a Profession.","authors":"Michael M Mueller","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00463-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00463-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The development of applied behavior analysis (ABA) around the world can be conceptualized in various ways. One of these ways is how the field of ABA is developing towards a professional industry distinct from other professions, such as psychology. The international ABA community is a broad landscape of hundreds of diverse and culturally distinct national and regional communities with professional development in ABA progressing in unique ways. Some current examples highlighting various successes in the development of professional ABA will be discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"48 3","pages":"597-603"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12411325/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Critical Evaluation of Practitioner Training in Applied Behavior Analysis: It is Time for a Change.","authors":"Justin B Leaf","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00461-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00461-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Results of quality behavioral intervention can be life-altering for our consumers. For our consumers to reach their fullest potential it requires that our interventionists are well-trained and that they are implementing behavioral intervention with a high degree of quality and fidelity. Practitioner training has evolved over the years and some of the standards appear to be improving. However, there are still numerous concerns with the training of behavior analysts. The purpose of this article is to describe some concerns with practitioner training and offer suggestions about how we can improve training within the field of applied behavior analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"48 3","pages":"605-611"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12411327/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Applied Behavior Analysis at a Crossroads: Reform, Branding, and the Future of Behavior Analysis.","authors":"Jessica Graber, Abraham Graber","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00462-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00462-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent years, public concerns about applied behavior analysis (ABA) have intensified. This article argues that foundational principles of ABA require behavior analysts to take seriously these concerns and actively work to improve our practices. We provide an overview of ongoing reform efforts and examine how these efforts have led to the emergence of distinct brands within the field. Although these reformist efforts signal a commitment to ethical progress, they also raise concerns about the proliferation of competing credentials, conferences, and professional affiliations, which could increase confusion among clients, practitioners, and policymakers. We argue that although branding within ABA may be an expected and ultimately benign response to shifting ethical and practical norms, it also carries the potential to faction reformist efforts and further divide the field, rather than promote our collective advancement toward ever-better practices. Thus, our goals are to: (1) raise awareness around the potentialities of siloing advancements under competing labels, and (2) suggest that an integrated approach synthesizing reformist insights into a cohesive framework may have the greatest impact on advancing the whole field's understanding of best practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"48 3","pages":"577-588"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12411353/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Verbal Behavior Analysis of Theory of Mind: Conceptual and Applied Implications.","authors":"Francesca Degli Espinosa","doi":"10.1007/s40614-025-00460-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40614-025-00460-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Theory of Mind (ToM) is typically used as an umbrella term to refer to and interpret a collection of responses that involve humans' ability to explain and predict others' behavior based on an understanding of their mental states, such as beliefs and desires. Not only is the ToM construct widely accepted in psychology, but it has also come to represent a broader theoretical system invoked to explain a range of social and cognitive processes in both typical and autistic development, with false-belief tasks serving as its litmus test. This article offers a behavioral account of ToM as verbal behavior-in particular, that it involves the speaker-listener first tacting the environmental variables that are exerting control over another person's behavior and then, engaging in conditional discriminations under multiple verbal control with respect to the difference between those variables and the ones influencing one's own behavior. The article is organized into four sections: (1) an overview of ToM within mainstream psychology; (2) the requirements for a behavioral account and summary of current approaches; (3) an alternative analysis rooted in verbal behavior; and (4) a potential instructional sequence for establishing ToM-related repertoires in children for whom they are currently absent or incomplete. Contrary to claims that ToM may exist in nonverbal or implicit form, the present analysis argues that it is necessarily verbal-requiring speaker-listener behavior shaped by social reinforcement. It attempts to redefine ToM in functional terms-as verbal behavior (Skinner, 1957) shaped through differential contact with the contingencies governing one's own and others' actions.</p>","PeriodicalId":44993,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives on Behavior Science","volume":"49 1","pages":"27-74"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13013853/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147522053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}