Evidence-Based Practice in the Age of Culture Wars: Challenges for Culturally Responsive Applied Behavior Analysis
Watch your own talk about hot topics so science—not politics—guides your clinical choices.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Jimenez-Gomez (2025) wrote a position paper. It tells BCBAs how to stay evidence-based when politics heat up.
The paper warns that culture-war talk can push clinicians to drop science or ethics. It urges scientist-practitioner habits instead.
What they found
The author found no new data. Instead, he maps how hot-button debates can warp clinical choices.
The paper says self-monitoring your own verbal behavior keeps practice both ethical and culturally responsive.
How this fits with other research
Uher et al. (2024) extends this idea. They give a ready checklist that turns the new BACB Standard 1.07 into daily actions.
Kwak et al. (2024) also extend the stance. Their VCAT gives validated questions to assess family culture before treatment starts.
Brodhead (2019) is a predecessor. It first argued the BACB Code underplays culture, setting the stage for the 2025 culture-war warning.
Why it matters
You can’t avoid politics, but you can avoid sloppy practice. Track your words about race, gender, or religion this week. Use tools like VCAT or the Uher checklist to keep goals client-driven, not headline-driven.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
There are many pressure points in society that induce strong reactions and intransigent verbal behavior. In this article, I argue the current biggest challenge in culturally responsive applied behavior analysis lies in avoiding getting dragged into the current culture wars while continuing to engage in evidence-based practice. Although there is no simple solution, I refer to what might seem like simple ways to address this challenge: (1) behave like a scientist-practitioner; (2) conduct research to expand evidence-based practices; and (3) monitor your own behavior to ensure practices align with the relevant ethics code. Do not let the simplicity of the suggestions fool you, because enacting them can be challenging and requires diligent practice.
Perspectives on Behavior Science, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s40614-025-00458-0