Consent and Assent Practices in Behavior Analytic Research
Most behavior analytic researchers obtain assent but rarely report the details—add a short assent paragraph to your next manuscript.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The authors sent a survey to 123 behavior-analytic researchers. They asked how each person gets consent and assent for studies. They also asked if the steps are written up in published papers.
What they found
Almost everyone said they get assent from kids or adults who cannot sign. Fewer than half said they describe the assent steps in their articles. Many people use different words for the same step.
How this fits with other research
Tager-Flusberg et al. (2016) shows how to gain assent from minimally verbal children with autism. Their tips match the survey finding that most researchers try to get assent.
Britton et al. (2021) warns that supervision and reporting gaps lead to ethics violations. The new survey adds another gap: assent steps happen but are not written down.
Weinsztok et al. (2025) offers a checklist for future systematic reviews. A review could now track how often behavior studies report assent procedures.
Why it matters
You already get assent. Now write the steps in your next paper. Say who gave assent, how you asked, and what you did if the person said no. A short paragraph keeps you ethical and helps the field copy good practices.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although consent and assent (when relevant) are required components of behavior analytic research activities according to the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2020), information about the use of assent procedures is not always included in published research. The purpose of the present study was to explore consent and assent processes in behavior analytic research by surveying researchers about their knowledge, practices, resources, barriers, and solutions with respect to consent and assent. The results from 123 behavior analytic researchers suggest that a variety of methods are being used to seek consent and assent, even though those processes are not always described in published literature. In addition, discrepancies were noted between behavior analytic researchers’ responses related to consent and assent, which suggests the need for more research, training, resources, and social contingencies related to assent. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-023-00838-5.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s40617-023-00838-5