Positive behavior support: Expanding the application of applied behavior analysis.
PBS and ABA are on the same team; PBS just gives you a friendly script for staff and families.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Mueller et al. (2000) wrote a position paper. They argued that Positive Behavior Support, or PBS, is not a rival to ABA. Instead, they said PBS fits inside behavior analysis and can guide real programs.
The paper aimed to calm turf wars. It showed how PBS values like dignity and prevention line up with ABA principles.
What they found
The authors found no conflict. They mapped each PBS step onto ABA language. Prevention equals antecedent change. Teaching new skills is behavior acquisition. Data teams are just good measurement.
They concluded PBS gives BCBAs a user-friendly wrapper for solid behavior science.
How this fits with other research
Mazonson et al. (2018) later tested the idea in adult group homes. They added monthly manager coaching to usual PBS. Challenging behavior dropped more than with PBS alone.
Gardner et al. (2009) stretched PBS into elementary bullying. A school-wide package cut bullying for six students. Both studies show the 2000 paper’s call to expand PBS works in new places.
Yet Strydom et al. (2020) ran a large RCT and saw no extra benefit from specialist PBS over usual care for adults with ID and ASD. The null finding seems to clash, but the study used outside experts instead of in-house coaches. The setup lacked the daily manager buy-in that Peter et al. proved matters.
Why it matters
You can stop worrying that PBS waters down ABA. Use PBS language with teachers and parents, then run single-case designs behind the scenes. Add manager coaching if you work in residential care. If results stall, check who owns the plan—on-site staff beat flying experts.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Positive behavior support (PBS) is an approach to providing services to individuals who exhibit challenging behavior. Since its inception in the early 1990s, PBS has received increasing attention from the behavior-analytic community. Some behavior analysts have embraced this approach, but others have voiced questions and concerns. In this paper we describe the framework of PBS and show that it is consistent with the tenets of behavior analysis. Also, we illustrate how the framework of PBS might be used to guide practitioners and researchers in the field of applied behavior analysis. We hope to demonstrate that PBS offers useful suggestions regarding how applied behavior analysts can design and evaluate effective programs for people with developmental disabilities or behavioral challenges.
The Behavior analyst, 2000 · doi:10.1007/BF03392001