Association for Behavior Analysis International

Behavioral treatments help people modify their behavior in order to achieve greater psychological and physical well-being. These treatments can be implemented by a clinician and/or by automated systems. Each type of treatment has its strengths and weaknesses. This presentation considers ways that machine learning, AI, and gamification can partially negotiate these strengths and weaknesses to achieve optimal results. Behavioral treatments for lifestyle modification and weight control are good candidates for such technology because necessary behaviors run counter to biological and environmental forces, and thus require acquisition of specific behavioral skills and accountability normally provided by an expert clinician. Yet, there are a severe shortage of such clinicians relative to the tens of millions of people in needs of such services. In the NIH R01-funded Project ReLearn, we are evaluating an artificial intelligence (AI) system for optimizing the delivery of clinical services of varying cost in a manner that allows for scalability across large populations. Project LYRA, in contrast, is exploring whether a large language model-powered chatbot housed in a self-help behavioral weight loss program can successfully help individuals achieve weight loss without the need for human clinicians. Even when clinical services are being provided, a challenge is that skills and strategies taught in the clinic are not utilized by clients in the moment of need. We have been exploring whether a machine learning-power, smartphone-based just-in-time, adaptive intervention (JITAI) called OnTrack is able to predict and prevent dietary lapses and to facilitate weight loss. People struggle to maintain motivation to engage in the exceptionally difficult behavior changes necessary to achieve weight loss. The NIH R01-funded Project Neurofit evaluates whether gamification and neurocognitive training improve engagement and weight loss outcomes among men (who also reject traditional clinical interventions which they view as “feminine”).

Behavior therapists and researchers

Despite having a 1 mm3 brain, honey bees exhibit a sophisticated behavioral repertoire. Bees learn and memorize multiple sensory cues related to flowers. Yet, besides being useful models for the study of simple forms of associative learning, they have emerged as attractive organisms for the study of higher-order forms of learning, both in the visual and in the olfactory domains. In the last two decades, our work has indeed revealed that these insects possess unsuspected cognitive capacities, which include category and concept learning, numerosity and the solving of non-linear discriminations, among others. All these phenomena are experimentally accessible via controlled laboratory protocols, which, in some cases, allow uncovering the underlying neural circuits Here I will discuss some of these findings and provide insights into their mechanistic bases, whenever this turned to be possible. In doing this, I will highlight experimental challenges and suggest future directions for investigating the neurobiology of higher-order learning in insects, with the goal of uncovering basic neural architectures underlying cognitive processing.

The talk will be accessible to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as to established scientists.

Given the widespread prevalence of social media and online continuing education programs, it's evident that awareness regarding behavioral problems in companion animals has grown. Nevertheless, there's been a proliferation of uniform case interpretations and standardized treatment and advice within the community of medical providers (e.g., veterinarians) and dog trainers. While these approaches serve as effective preventive measures, they may not always be suitable for treatment. In this lecture, we will delve into real cases, drawing from research papers and study results, in order to enhance our comprehension of the diverse nature of clinical cases. Developing a thorough understanding of case differentiation and the range of choices and limitations in treatment options is likely to contribute to further enhancements of our knowledge.

Animal trainers, animal behavior therapists, dog research scientists

A great deal is known about the behavioral and neural mechanisms that give rise to goal-directed reward-seeking actions. By contrast, we know much less about the processes that enable goal-directed behavioral constraint. In this talk, I will address the importance of inhibitory control to various forms of reward-guided behaviors, particularly drug and alcohol misuse and addictions. I will highlight discoveries that have revealed genetic, molecular and neural processes vital to effective inhibitory control, and I will address the importance of studying diverse populations in these efforts.

Professionals and scientists conducting research on or providing services for behavioral addictions.

Everyone experiences trauma. Whether it’s a specific harrowing event or a series of stressful moments that accumulate over time, trauma can echo and etch itself into our brains. In her lecture, neuroscientist Dr. Tracey Shors will discuss how our brains are inclined to ruminate on negative memories and how this process can interfere with our everyday lives, while making still more memories. She will also present effective tools for reducing repetitive thoughts that reinforce our everyday traumas. By understanding how our brains ruminate on the past, while training them with new mental and physical skills, we are better equipped to leave our pasts behind and live in a brighter future.

This lecture is easily accessible and thus targeted at a wide audience, including laypersons. The content is especially relevant for adult women.

This presentation will highlight the tenets of effective instruction as they align to a behavior analytic framework. Direct, explicit, and intentional instruction will be showcased. Further, leaders, no matter the organization, can work more effectively with students, staff, and faculty using the principles of effective instruction and can interpret performance through a behavior analytic lens. Scenarios will be shared.

Behavior analysts, educators, higher education administrators