Applied behavior analysis: New directions from the laboratory.
Basic lab findings on schedule-induced behavior and concurrent operants give BCBAs new levers for anticipating side effects and reallocating behavior.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hake et al. (1983) wrote a think-piece, not an experiment. They scanned rat and pigeon labs for findings that had not yet jumped to classrooms or clinics.
The authors picked two hot topics: schedule-induced behavior and concurrent operants. They asked, 'What if BCBAs used these lab tricks tomorrow?'
What they found
The paper gives no new data. Instead it lists ready-to-use ideas. For example, dense schedules can create extra behaviors like hand-flapping. Also, when two schedules run at once, responses flow to the richer one faster than most clinicians expect.
How this fits with other research
Thompson et al. (1974) showed that drug effects hinge on the baseline schedule. Hake et al. (1983) recycle that point to warn BCBAs: reinforcement side effects also hinge on baseline rates.
Li et al. (2018) and Morris et al. (2021) later proved the idea works. They built computer models of concurrent schedules and fitted them to real classroom and FA data. These studies extend the 1983 call into usable software.
Becraft et al. (2020) and Turgeon et al. (2020) give the statistics and machine-learning tools you need to test the 1983 ideas across many small cases. Together they form a pipeline: lab insight → model → meta-analysis → prediction.
Why it matters
You can start using these lab insights today. Watch for extra behaviors when you thicken reinforcement. Plot response allocation during concurrent tasks; shift schedules before problem behavior wins the race. The 1983 paper says the basics are already in the lab—modern tutorials just make them easier to crunch.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Applied behavior analysis began when laboratory based principles were extended to humans inorder to change socially significant behavior. Recent laboratory findings may have applied relevance; however, the majority of basic researchers have not clearly communicated the practical implications of their work. The present paper samples some of the new findings and attempts to demonstrate their applied importance. Schedule-induced behavior which occurs as a by-product of contingencies of reinforcement is discussed. Possible difficulties in treatment and management of induced behaviors are considered. Next, the correlation-based law of effect and the implications of relative reinforcement are explored in terms of applied examples. Relative rate of reinforcement is then extended to the literature dealing with concurrent operants. Concurrent operant models may describe human behavior of applied importance, and several techniques for modification of problem behavior are suggested. As a final concern, the paper discusses several new paradigms. While the practical importance of these models is not clear at the moment, it may be that new practical advantages will soon arise. Thus, it is argued that basic research continues to be of theoretical and practical importance to applied behavior analysis.
The Behavior analyst, 1983 · doi:10.1007/BF03391871