Hey there behaviorists!

We have an exciting week ahead of us, as the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis finally published the complete volume 55, issue 1! This means we get to start with three important commentaries this week, before we move into experimental articles. The topics discussed in this issue are important, and I am very excited to discuss them. The first two articles relate to conversion therapy and the ongoing conversation about the Reekers and Lovaas, 1974 study. With clear calls to action, these articles are a must read for any socially responsible behavior analyst. The third article on Friday discusses trauma assumed care and is perhaps my favorite article of the past year! So, join me for a fun week, as we crack open a fresh issue of JABA and break it down piece by piece!

This week, we will be reading Volume 55, issue 1, pages 6-61.

Monday

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. Through the following two articles, Conine et al., 2022 and Capriotti & Donaldson, 2022, these authors focus on calls to action and future behaviors that we as a community can take to support and affirm those in the LGBTQ+ community. Conine et al., 2022 focuses less on the conversation around the retraction and expression of concern, and more around specific action steps that both individuals and professional organizations can take. Some of these actions are things such as position statements and encouraging further research representation. It is important to note that the purpose of this article was not to be read, but rather to be acted upon! Behavior analysts everywhere have a role to play in the continued growth of support for this community. Whether that be proudly displaying a diversity statement or following through with promises made in the past, the only way for true change is a grassroots cultural shift in the practitioners of this science.

Conine, D. E., Campau, S. C., & Petronelli, A. K. (2022). LGBTQ+ conversion therapy and applied behavior analysis: A call to action. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 6-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.876

Wednesday

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

Friday

Trauma-informed care has recently come into the spotlight in many other fields, but this is one of the first focused articles on it in behavior analysis. There have been some other notable exceptions, but generally, the concept of trauma has been ignored by the larger behavior analytic community. There are potentially a few reasons for this, and this article breaks them down quite nicely. The authors then lead us through what a behavior analytic trauma informed care model could look like, giving plenty of examples and options. In my opinion, this is one of the best new articles for a behavior analyst to read, as it goes into the why behind changing to a trauma informed care model, as well as the how to change. It is clear from reading that the authors were extremely passionate on this topic, and it was a pleasure to read and review.

Rajaraman, A., Austin, J. L., Gover, H. C., Cammilleri, A. P., Donnelly, D. R., & Hanley, G. P. (2022). Toward trauma-informed applications of behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 40-61. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.881