This comparison draws in part from “New Year, New You: OBM Strategies to (Finally!) Achieve Your Goals” by Mellanie Page (BehaviorLive), and extends it with peer-reviewed research from our library of 27,900+ ABA research articles. The decision framework, BACB ethics code references, and cross-links below are synthesized by Behaviorist Book Club.
View the original presentation →In OBM and goal-setting research, a useful distinction separates do goals — goals defined in terms of specific behaviors and actions — from be goals — goals defined in terms of states, identities, or qualities. Exercising 30 minutes on three days per week is a do goal. Being a healthier person is a be goal. Both have a role in motivation, but they function very differently as behavioral targets and produce very different patterns of success and failure.
For BCBAs trained in observable, measurable behavior change, do goals are the natural default — and for good reason. They can be measured, reinforced, and adjusted based on data. Be goals, while motivationally meaningful, are too vague to support consistent behavioral action and too diffuse to generate the clear contingency management that sustains behavior over time.
Understanding when to use each type, how to translate be goals into do goals, and how to connect the two at a motivational level is the practical skill this comparison develops. For personal goal achievement and for designing performance management systems for staff or clients, this framework has direct application.
| Factor | Evidence-Based Approach | Traditional Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Do Goal: Specifies a concrete behavior, frequency, duration, and context — observable and measurable | Be Goal: Describes a desired state, quality, or identity — aspirational but not operationalized |
| Measurability | Do Goal: Directly measurable through behavior tracking; enables objective progress assessment | Be Goal: Requires translation into proxy measures; inherently subjective in assessment |
| Contingency Management | Do Goal: Allows clear contingency: behavior occurs and reinforcement is delivered; supports shaping | Be Goal: Contingency is unclear; difficult to identify the moment of success warranting reinforcement |
| Motivational Function | Do Goal: Effective for daily execution and habit formation; may feel mundane without connection to deeper values | Be Goal: Highly motivating at the level of identity and values; insufficient alone for behavioral maintenance |
| Risk of Failure | Do Goal: Failure is specific and informative — provides data on what to adjust; setbacks are smaller in scope | Be Goal: Failure is global and identity-threatening; harder to recover from than missing a single behavioral target |
| Best Use | Do Goal: Daily execution targets, habit formation, performance management, short-to-medium term planning | Be Goal: Values clarification, motivational context-setting, long-term direction, identity narrative |
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Use this framework when approaching new year, new you: obm strategies to (finally!) achieve your goals in your practice:
Does the data support a need for intervention? Is there a meaningful impact on the individual's quality of life, safety, or access to reinforcement?
YES → Proceed to assessment NO → Document reasoning, monitor
A functional assessment should guide intervention selection. Avoid defaulting to standard protocols without individual analysis. Consider environmental variables, setting events, and private events.
YES → Select evidence-based approach matched to function NO → Complete assessment first
Goals should be co-developed. Assent and informed consent are ethical requirements. The individual's preferences and values matter in selecting both goals and methods.
YES → Proceed with collaborative plan NO → Engage in shared decision-making
This course covers the clinical and ethical dimensions in detail with structured learning objectives and CEU credit.
New Year, New You: OBM Strategies to (Finally!) Achieve Your Goals — Mellanie Page · 1 BACB General CEUs · $0
Take This Course →We extended this decision guide with research from our library — dig into the peer-reviewed studies behind each approach, in plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
244 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
1 BACB General CEUs · $0 · BehaviorLive
Research-backed educational guide
Research-backed answers for behavior analysts
All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.