On the Importance of Listening and Intercultural Communication for Actions against Racism

Baires et al. (2022) wrote a how-to paper, not an experiment. They asked, "What behavior-analytic tools can help people talk across cultures without racism?"

The team pulled from Skinner’s listener work and intercultural research. They built a plain map: teach people to listen first, speak second, and track both acts like any other behavior.

The paper says listener behavior is a teachable, countable skill. When you reinforce quiet attending, paraphrasing, and asking real questions, you open the door for anti-racist action.

No new data are shown. Instead, the authors give BCBAs a script: define listening responses, write task analyses, and use BST plus feedback just like you do for any client goal.

Lillis et al. (2007) already proved a one-time ACT class can boost positive racial intentions. Baires adds the missing piece—spell out the listener responses that make such talks work.

Neely et al. (2020) showed BST plus cultural tailoring lifts teacher fidelity with Latinx students. Baires widens the lens: every listener, not only teachers, needs that same cultural fit.

Ehrlich et al. (2020) used BST to teach employees how to receive feedback without defensiveness. The skills—eye contact, thanking, clarifying—mirror the listener targets Baires says we should track in cross-cultural talks.

Patton et al. (2020) found teachers give more negative comments to Black students even when behavior is equal. That bias is the exact problem Baires aims to fix by training listener habits first.

You already write task analyses for tooth-brushing and DTT; now write one for listening. Pick a cultural topic, list observable listener acts (nod, paraphrase, ask open question), and reinforce them in real time during staff meetings or parent nights. The paper gives you permission to treat equity work like any other behavior plan—define, measure, and reinforce.