Ten Rules for Discussing Behavior Analysis.
Treat every misquote of ABA as a behavior you can shape with ten simple conversation rules.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Critchfield (2014) wrote ten rules for talking about behavior analysis. The rules help you correct myths without starting fights. The paper is a how-to guide, not an experiment.
What they found
The author says misquotes are behavior you can shape. Stay calm, give clear facts, and praise honest questions. Follow the ten rules and people leave with a truer picture of ABA.
How this fits with other research
Todd et al. (1983) first showed that psychology textbooks paint behaviorism as cold and dated. Critchfield (2014) answers that old news with action steps you can use today.
Johnson et al. (2023) and Brown (2025) push for exact words inside the field. Critchfield (2014) matches them by asking for exact words when you talk to outsiders.
LeBlanc et al. (2019) teach you to run smooth team meetings. Critchfield (2014) adds the public half: how to talk once you leave the meeting room.
Why it matters
Next time a teacher says ABA is just animal tricks, you have a script. Rule 3 says give a real example from that child’s day. Rule 7 says end with a question so the other person stays in the talk. Use the ten rules and you turn critics into partners.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Mischaracterizations of behavior analysis are someone's behavior, and they should be approached in exactly the same way that behavior analysts approach behavior that is deemed curious, troubling, or self-injurious.
Behavior analysis in practice, 2014 · doi:10.1891/1945-8959.13.2.201