The PORTL Laboratory
PORTL turns key ABA processes into a cheap, portable game anyone can play.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hunter et al. (2023) describe PORTL, a tabletop game that teaches shaping, extinction, and reinforcement.
The kit fits in a backpack and uses simple objects like beads and cups.
No animals or high-tech gear are needed, so any class can play.
What they found
The paper is a how-to guide, not an experiment.
It shows step-by-step ways to run lessons on basic operant concepts.
Instructors can watch students shape a partner’s moves in real time.
How this fits with other research
Beaumont et al. (2008) built role-play drills for hostage negotiators. PORTL uses the same tabletop format, but targets ABA students instead of police.
Rehfeldt et al. (2022) argue ACT ideas can scale to whole cultures. PORTL scales in a different way—by shrinking the lab into a cheap game.
Cruz et al. (2019) give practitioners a checklist to pick safety fixes. PORTL gives them a game to practice picking and delivering those fixes.
Why it matters
You can run PORTL in any classroom or staff meeting. Ten minutes of play lets learners feel extinction bursts and reinforcement effects firsthand. Next time you teach new RBTs, skip the lecture and hand out beads.
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Pack beads and cups, then open your next supervision with a five-minute shaping round.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
In the history of the field, behavior analysts have used the operant chamber as an apparatus for both teaching and experimental investigations. In the early days of the field, students spent significant time in the animal laboratory, using operant chambers to conduct hands-on experiments. These experiences allowed students to see behavior change as an orderly process and drew many students toward careers in behavior analysis. Today, most students no longer have access to animal laboratories. However, the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab (PORTL) can fill this void. PORTL is a table-top game that creates a free-operant environment for studying the principles of behavior and their application. This article will describe how PORTL works and the parallels between PORTL and the operant chamber. Examples will illustrate how PORTL can be used to teach concepts such as differential reinforcement, extinction, shaping, and other basic principles. In addition to its use as a teaching tool, PORTL provides a convenient and inexpensive way for students to replicate research studies and even conduct their own research projects. As students use PORTL to identify and manipulate variables, they gain a deeper understanding for how behavior works.
Perspectives on Behavior Science, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40614-023-00369-y