Hey there Behaviorists!

Conversion therapy and ABA unfortunately have a past that is intertwined based on the similarities of research lines and methods used. It is important for behavior analysts to be aware of this past, as well as the ongoing issues and topics swirling around this matter. Past a conversation about the harm of the past, however, is a call to future action. Capriottie & Donaldson, 2022 continue the conversation of a retraction vs. an expression of concern by giving some context to the circumstances revolving around the original Reekers and Lovaas publication as well as the retraction process as a whole. In addition, they also focus on action steps that behavior analysts can step and give a great list of future research recommendations. Some research topics include the application of brief habit reversal to pronoun usage and behavioral skills training for corrective feedback to bigoted comments. Encouraging and providing options for research in this area will reduce the response effort associated with starting a new research line. Hopefully, the maintenance of this conversation will lead to real social change within our field.

Capriotti, M. R. & Donaldson, J. M. (2022). “Why don't behavior analysts do something?”¹ Behavior analysts' historical, present, and potential future actions on sexual and gender minority issues. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 19-39. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.884