Behavior analysis has developed a precise technical vocabulary that serves the scientific and clinical functions of the field with notable rigor. Terms like negative reinforcement, extinction, and stimulus control have operationally defined meanings that distinguish behavior analytic communication from imprecise everyday language.
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Join Free →Read the following article and pass a 5-question quiz on it: Critchfield, T. S., Doepke, K. J., Epting, L. K., Becirevic, A., Reed, D. D., Fienup, D. M., Kremsreiter, J. L., & Ecott, C. L. (2017). Normative emotional responses to behavior analysis jargon or how not to use words to win friends and influence people.Behavior Analysis in Practice, 10, 97-106. To earn credit, you will be required to read the article and pass a 5-question quiz about it. You can retake the quiz as many times as needed, but you will not receive exactly the same questions each time. It has been suggested that non-experts regard the jargon of behavior analysis as abrasive, harsh, and unpleasant. If this is true, excessive reliance on jargon could interfere with the dissemination of effective services. To address this often discussed but rarely studied issue, we consulted a large, public domain list of English words that have been rated by members of the general public for the emotional reactions they evoke. Selected words that behavior analysts use as technical terms were compared to selected words that are commonly used to discuss general science, general clinical work, and behavioral assessment. There was a tendency for behavior analysis terms to register as more unpleasant than other kinds of professional terms and also as more unpleasant than English words generally. We suggest possible reasons for this finding, discuss its relevance to the challenge of deciding how to communicate with consumers who do not yet understand or value behavior analysis, and advocate for systematic research to guide the marketing of behavior analysis. Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB | 1 | General |
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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.