Doctoral training in behavior analysis: Training generalized problem-solving skills.
Doctoral training should immerse students across many real-world settings to create versatile behavior-analytic problem solvers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Singh et al. (1985) wrote a position paper. They sketched a doctoral program that moves students through many real-world sites.
The goal was graduates who can solve any behavior problem, not just recite terms.
What they found
The paper offered no data. It is a blueprint, not an outcome study.
How this fits with other research
Lambert et al. (2022) later ran a university practicum that follows the 1985 plan. Students cycled through clinic cases and built broad expertise in tough behavior.
Elsmore et al. (1994) gave graduate students behavioral skills training. The students later used warm, effective adult-child interaction skills in new settings. This shows the generalization the 1985 paper only proposed.
Fanning Tacoaman et al. (2024) used a short BST package to teach technicians consistent pairing. Their brief, focused method worked, while the 1985 paper urges long, wide immersion. The two views differ in length, yet both push for skills that stick across places.
Why it matters
If you train or supervise, rotate learners through varied cases and settings. Pair brief BST bursts for narrow skills with longer, multi-site practica for big problem-solving. The 1985 map still guides you, and newer studies show pieces already in action.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This essay provides guidelines for designing a doctoral program in behavior analysis. First, we propose a general accomplishment for all behavior analytic doctoral students: that they be able to solve problems concerning individual behavior within a range of environments. Second, in order to achieve this goal, we propose that students be trained in conceptual and experimental analysis of behavior, the application of behavioral principles and the administration of behavioral programs. This training should include class work, but it should emphasize the immersion of students in a variety of environments in which they are required to use behavior analytic strategies. Third, we provide an example of a hypothetical graduate program that involves the proposed training. Finally, an evaluation plan is suggested for determining whether a training program is in fact producing students who are generalized problem-solvers. At each step, we justify our point of view from a perspective that combines principles from behavior analysis and educational systems design.
The Behavior analyst, 1985 · doi:10.1007/BF03393148