BACB® Newsletter

One of the key ethical responsibilities of ABA professionals is to stay current. Clinically, this means being aware of the latest research and technologies. This also includes having visibility to the updates shared by the certifying body, the BACB®. Updates happen quite regularly which means this may impact the exam. Be prepared and be aware by signing up for the BACB newsletter.

Toward a Functional Analysis of Self-Injury

Iwata, B. A., Doresy, M. F., Slifer, K. J., Bauman, K. E., and Richman, G. S. (1994), Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 27(2), 197-209

This is Iwata’s original work on Functional Analysis (FA). It is a must read for anyone in the field of ABA. If you struggle with understanding how an FA works, this is the source material you need. It is the foundational information on the subject and a good way to build your knowledge in this area.

Intraverbal Behavior: The Codic, Duplic and Sequelic Subtypes

Vargas, E. A. (1982), The Analysis of Verbal Behavior 1, 5-7

Many people have shared a sense of insecurity about their Verbal Behavior (VB) education. Since we don’t know exactly what will be on the exam related to this area, PTB suggests reviewing this this brief article. It is a great introduction to some of the VB vocabulary beyond the elementary verbal operants.

Skinner’s Elementary Verbal Relations: Some New Categories

Michael, J. ( 1982), The Analysis of Verbal Behavior 1, 1-3

PTB recommends this article as another resource to support increasing knowledge of Verbal Behavior beyond the elementary verbal operants, as well as connecting the elementary operants to these newer categories.

Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis

Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M. and Risely, T. R. (1968), Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 1, 91-97

This article was likely assigned as part of your coursework, so you may already have it. However, in the off chance you don’t, you can download it here. This is considered to be the most solid reference for the dimensions of ABA, the rules we live by as Behavior Analysts. The content in this article will be on your exams. But more importantly, it will be a big key part of your professional life. Anyone who struggles with understanding the dimensions should spend some time reviewing this material. 

Can Behavior Analysis Help Us Understand and Reduce Racism? A review of the Current Literature 

Brandt, J. B., Catagnus, R., Garcia, Y. and Matsuda, K. (2020), Behavior Analysis in Practice. Published online. 

This article was written right before the brutal death of George Floyd. PTB was inspired by the demonstrations and the call to action that came from that tragedy. As an organization, PTB recommitted itself to doing its part, including addressing racism through a behavioral lens, which in turn led to this article. In fact, it was written by a former PTB student and friends. This article does an important job of pointing out that, unsurprising, more research is needed in this area. But more importantly, it looks at racism through operant and respondent contingencies. The authors cite several relatable examples that they connect to a lot of ABA vocabulary, which in itself is extremely beneficial to anyone sitting for the exam.