Association for Behavior Analysis International

Safety at work and/or at educational place, which used to be ensured by people's "attention" and the "principles of stopping and isolating" has been changed with the introduction of ICT devices and cloud networks so on. For example, due to collaborative work and study activities with ICT devices at work and educational community, the "principles of stopping and isolating" and/or "attention by people" can hardly be applied. In light of the reality of work and study styles that must respond to such rapid changes, it is necessary to search for the optimal safety system. We have been conducting experiments with the aim of realizing safety measures from the perspective of workers and students. In this symposium, we will introduce practical experimental methods for evaluating and measuring workers and University students. Furthermore, we will report the results of measuring workers' sense of safety behavior and as to well-being from perspective of occupational and academic safety.

Bicyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups of road users. The reasons for this are the relatively high speed and the close proximity of motor vehicles. In contrast, a cyclist has little protection; he does not have a vehicle body around him and usually wears only ordinary clothing. Wearing a bicycle helmet significantly reduces the risk of suffering serious head injuries in the event of an accident. As we found out in a survey, all cyclists are aware of this. Nevertheless, they often refrain from wearing a bicycle helmet, among other things because they mistakenly consider the risk to be low for short distances, because wearing a helmet is considered to be uncomfortable and carrying it around is considered to be inconvenient. In a behavioral community intervention, we distributed stickers showing the Bavarian Prime Minister wearing a bicycle helmet to bicyclists (students and employees) who parked their bicycles in front of or rode away from the university building. Through this intervention, we immediately achieved a doubling to tripling of the percentage of cyclists wearing helmets. This success was maintained after the intervention, although the proportion decreased again over time.

We introduce an activity of a team called [SG Cosmos], which specializes in "safety awareness promotion activities" for workers on site provided by GOP Co., Ltd., a temporary equipment rental company, and a method for quantitatively evaluating well-being. The activity is important to share information about safety behavior with workers. The activities involve participatory experiential information transmission with workers. Safety and Security Technology Research Center (SATEC), a research institute of GOP, measured change of Well-being before and after the activity of six workers who took part in the activities and two members of the SG Cosmos who provided the activity. All participants improved their subjective well-being, which represents safety and security, after the activity (Figure 1). In addition, in terms of psychological well-being, which indicates "worthiness" and "gain in life," SG Cosmos' scores increased more in five out of six factors after the activity (Figure 2). On the other hand, it was found that in terms of "positive relationships with others" was shown a significant decrease. We believe that it is important for both the training provider and the trainee to evaluate whether the training is beneficial to each other in order to ensure safe work in the future.

The focus of the study was on the behavioral change in response to wellbeing questions, one of the indicators of safety, security, and job satisfaction/reward. (1989) and Psychological Well-being developed by Ryff (1989). These questions conventionally require a group to respond once and are then statistically analyzed. In this study, we analyzed one case study. Subjects performed five repetitions of several minutes of work in two different height conditions on two different aluminum alloy portable workbenches and answered the Well-being questions before and after the repetitions. Since the original questions were about "life" in this case, they also answered questions in which the context of the questions was replaced by "work" to examine how the language used in the questions affected their response behavior. Result: For this subject, there were not significant difference answering “life” and “work” questions. Results of Subjective Well-being (Fig. 1) showed that only pre condition answered differently. Results of Psychological Well-being (Fig. 2) showed that there were not significant difference between answering “life” and “work” questionnaire. Of six dimensions of well-being, Personal Growth (PG) answered high points, and Autonomy answered the lowest.

There are over seven million people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in the United States. Individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities are at high risk of co-occurring mental health conditions. However, navigating mental health and intellectual/developmental disability systems can be clunky and burdensome for individuals and caregivers who are simply trying to access quality care. This presentation will cover the common systemic hurdles to integrating services for persons with co-occurring diagnoses and how Missouri is beginning to use applied behavior analysis principles at a systems level to bust these barriers and deliver services when and how they are needed. The authors will share how Missouri Echos are developing collaborative skills across the state. Specific data from Missouri’s Alliance of Dual Diagnosis Echo will be shared covering common recommendations from the Echo hub as well as changes in clinical confidence pre-post Echo participation. The authors will also share Missouri’s Tiered Supports data from provider organizations outlining needs, implementation of systems efforts, progress, and outcomes.

Practitioners in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) encounter diverse client populations and must therefore be equipped to competently provide services across varied cultural groups. A diverse service population in combination with updated ethical guidelines for behavior analysts requiring the inclusion of cultural responsiveness, illustrates the need for curricula to develop culturally responsive practices. Unfortunately, there are currently no empirically validated approaches for increasing awareness, knowledge, and skills of cultural responsiveness in behavior analysts. Thus, an eight-hour training was developed on the topic of cultural responsiveness, comprised of cultural competence training, self-assessment, behavioral assessment and treatment, supervision, and ethics components. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) evaluate whether this eight-hour online course on culturally responsive behavior analytic practices would impact awareness and knowledge of participants, and (2) evaluate whether completing the online course would improve performance in clinical situations. Pre- and post-completion of the curricula, participants completed a survey, and a subset of participants provided a behavior sample (i.e., recorded video) to assess potential impacts on performance. Findings suggested that following the completion of the curricula, participants demonstrated increases in their knowledge of the material included in the course and self-rating of skills, but there were no significant increases in measured dimensions of cultural competence.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs®) are likely to interact with a wide variety of individuals, many of whom do not share their racial or cultural identities (Conners, 2021), which may increase the need for specific training in professional interactions that are culturally sensitive and responsive. Gatzunis (2023) used Behavioral Skills Training (BST) to increase the empathetic and culturally responsive functional behavior assessment (FBA) interviewing skills of caregivers who did not share the identity of the interviewers. Similar skills may be required for FBA interviewing related to sensitive behaviors, such as client use of discriminatory language. In the current study, we used BST and an FBA interview script to teach interviewing skills related to derogatory or discriminatory behavior to BCBAs in a multiple-probe design. During baseline and post-training, participants conducted mock FBA interviews with a confederate caregiver over videoconference. Data were collected on 22 interview skills across three areas: assessment skills, cultural competency, and empathetic and compassionate interview techniques. Indirect assessments were used to evaluate participant self-rated competence in conducting an FBA of discriminative language before and after training. Results suggest that BST improved the interview skills of all participants, despite some BCBAs self-rating their competence high during baseline.

Cultural responsiveness is an ethical responsibility for behavior analysts that must be upheld according to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). Despite this guideline, behavior analysts may need to be adequately equipped to engage in a culturally responsive manner with service recipients. Previous studies have shown that behavior skills training (BST) can increase cultural responsiveness among practitioners (Gatzunis et al., 2023). Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to replicate and extend Gatzunis et al. (2023) by evaluating the effects of BST to increase practitioner cultural responsiveness in the context of completing the Reinforcer Assessment for Individuals with Severe Disabilities (RAISD, Piazza et al., 1996). A multiple baseline across participants’ designs was used to evaluate the effects of a remotely delivered BST package on the cultural responsiveness skills of graduate students. Following the training, a social validity assessment was delivered to assess participants’ impressions of the training. Results provide implications for developing the cultural responsiveness skills of behavior analysts in the context of completing the RAISD.

ABA is a relatively new, popular, and controversial discipline in Turkey. Even if the first studies and books were published in the '90s, some scholars would mention the previously unpublished manuscripts. The study adopts the qualitative inquiry, and the interviews were conducted with the first scholars in Turkey. The participants, full-time professors in different universities, were determined by the purposive sample selection and the adapted snowball technique to reach each scholar. The study aims to enlighten the development of ABA in Turkey and seeks the following research questions: 1) How was it revealed, and what was the first action for ABA in Turkey? 2) How does ABA become visible, and which institutions, organizations, and people take roles? 3) How is going on about ABA in today: weaknesses and strengths? The data narrative analysis applies all interview transcripts, and the verbal history of ABA regenerates chronologically. The study can bring a new discussion about ABA development in Turkey.

In Mexico, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) carries out a survey every two years on the quality and impact of government work (ENCIG: “Encuesta Nacional de Calidad e Impacto Gubernamental”). This survey investigates corrupt practices and satisfaction with services provided by the government. Although INEGI publishes a report, data is available to encourage analysis from different disciplines. In this work, principles of behavioral economics were used to offer a plausible explanation for the survey responses. For example, ENCIG 2021 data (answered by 39,930 residents across the country) showed that people reported different frequencies of corrupt acts depending on who would be involved in the report. When the corruption report included their participation, they reported less frequency. Results also suggested that belief in corruption in government processes is learned by reference (“hearing from someone else”) and not by direct experience. This is consistent with the assumption that individuals tend to find justifications for their dishonest actions. The analyzes performed not only provide empirical evidence for behavioral approaches to corruption, but can also help behavioral researchers design more ecological tasks to assess corruption. For example, interviewees' reports of trust in different social institutions would determine options used in a task.

nfluencing purchasing patterns of individuals can exert bottom-up economic pressure on corporations and investors to develop eco-friendly alternatives to existing products. The current study extends previous work in Young & McCoy (2016), Matthews et al (in press), and Hutchenson et al (2023), by evaluating and analyzing consumer choices of chocolate bars in attempts to increase sustainable consumption using Relational Density Theory (RDT). Before the study, participants were randomly split into four groups for stimuli training (Positive, Negative, Mixed, and Control). In the task they will be presented with pairwise combinations of images of chocolate bars with various advertising features. They will then be asked to make hypothetical purchasing selections. Following the task, each group will receive relational training using stimuli with differing functions, such as approach or avoid functions. Participants will then retake the same computerized task. Participants will also complete pre and post-test of assessments such as the climate anxiety questionnaire. Results have implications for applications of how climate anxiety can predict pro-environmental behavior. Discussion will highlight potential limitations, future research, and highlight the importance of pro-environmental behavior.

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) consists of behavioral and developmental interventions that are implemented in a natural setting to teach new skills and decrease challenging behaviors (e.g. aggression, flopping, screaming). This term was developed by Dr. Laura Schreibman in 2015 as a way to categorize interventions that share the same principles and methods. Previous research has proven Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions to be an effective and successful model of intervention for increasing motivation, skill acquisition, and appropriate behaviors. Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions. In this systematic review we summarized the research on one Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions - incidental teaching. The purpose of this review was to (a) evaluate the extent to which incidental teaching has been evaluated in the literature, (b) examine the characteristics of participants included in incidental teaching studies, and (c) evaluate the extent to which generalization has been studied in the incidental teaching research. In this presentation we'll discuss major findings and implications for research and practice.

The research field Implementation science has traditionally focused on the implementation of evidence-based practices, but the field has increasingly recognized the importance of addressing de-implementation (i.e., the process of reducing low-value care). Most studies on de-implementation strategies have used a combination of strategies without addressing factors that sustain the use of LVC and there is a lack of information about which strategies are most effective and what mechanisms of change might underlie these strategies. Applied behavior analysis is an approach that could be a potential method to gain insights into the mechanisms of de-implementation strategies to reduce LVC. Three research questions are addressed in this study: (1) What contingencies (three-term contingencies or rule governing behavior) related to the use of LVC can be found in a local context and what strategies can be developed based on an analysis of these contingencies? (2) Do these strategies change targeted behaviors? (3) How do the participants describe the strategies’ contingencies and the feasibility of the applied behavior analysis approach? Method In this study, we used an applied behaviors analysis to analyze contingencies that maintain behaviors related to a chosen LVC, the unnecessary use of X-rays for knee arthrosis within a primary care center. Based on this analysis, strategies were developed and evaluated using a single-case design and a qualitative analysis of interview data. Results Two strategies were developed: a lecture and feedback meetings. The results from the single-case data were inconclusive but some of the findings may indicate a behavior change in the expected direction. Such a conclusion is supported by interview data showing that participants perceived an effect in response to both strategies. Conclusion The findings illustrate how applied behavior analysis can be used to analyze contingencies related to the use of LVC and to design strategies for de-implementation. It also shows an effect of the targeted behaviors even though the quantitative results are inconclusive. The strategies used in this study could be further improved to target the contingencies better by structuring the feedback meetings better and including more precise feedback.

Human trafficking (HT) programs often lack well-defined goals, fail to record data directly from survivors and do not assess enhancements to survivors’ quality of life (Krieger et al., 2022). To address the lack of research surrounding effective program evaluations, this project aimed to evaluate an HT housing program in southern Florida guided by recommendations from Macy et al. (2022). A retrospective analysis of 63 case files was conducted to evaluate the level to which wrap-around service provision resulted in successful completion of the program. Successful completion of the program required that survivors demonstrated effective finance management and were able to acquire and maintain housing and employment. Following preliminary data analysis for six case files that met these markers for success, data show that survivors obtained employment and housing within an average of 2 months of starting the program, received six service referrals and completed the program within an average of 27 months. This study will add to the limited literature on trauma-informed approaches for providing continuity of care services to this population.

In the pursuit of sustainable practices, three distinct yet interconnected studies delve into critical aspects of environmental conservation. The first study focuses on the intricate relationship between electricity consumption and climate change. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of electricity production on heat trapping emissions globally, with a specific emphasis on strategies to reduce fossil fuel usage. The second study explores the alarming connection between increased greenhouse gases and human consumption behaviors, spotlighting the substantial contribution of food waste to global emissions. Participants will evaluate the potential of food waste reduction programs. The third study shifts the focus to water consumption in drought-stricken areas, specifically California. Participants will learn about the effectiveness of visual and textual feedback in reducing household water consumption. The study employs a Flume® Smart Home Water Monitor to monitor daily water usage, implementing a multiple baseline design to discern the impact of different feedback modalities. These three studies collectively underscore the urgency of evidence-based interventions in the face of environmental challenges. Participants will emerge equipped with insights into mitigating climate change through informed electricity consumption, addressing greenhouse gas emissions in the food practices, and implementing effective strategies to curtail household water consumption in regions grappling with drought. This combined presentation provides a holistic perspective on the multifaceted approaches required for sustainable practices, emphasizing the critical role of informed behavior-analytic intervention in mitigating the environmental impact of human activities.

Behavior Analysts, Students Knowledge of feedback