The question of how to decrease problematic behavior is one of the most consequential decisions a behavior analyst makes. The approaches chosen carry implications not only for the client receiving services but for the practitioner delivering them, for the broader perception of the field, and for the ethical standing of the profession.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Skinner Foundation
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →Commonly held ideas about how aversive consequences decrease behavior often conflict with what Skinner recommended. Practical examples following Skinner's analysis will show how and when applying an aversive stimulus harms not only the receiver, but also the giver. Alternative procedures will be presented.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
Julie Vargas, B.F. Skinner's daughter, is one of the founder's of the B.F. Skinner Foundation. She received her bachelors in music from Radcliffe College, a masters in music education from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in educational research from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught 3rd and 4th grade before becoming a faculty member at West Virginia University where she taught practicing and prospective teachers for over 35 years. Dr. Vargas is a former president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and one of the founding editors of The Behavior Analyst. She is currently Chief Science Officer and Chairman of the Board of the B. F. Skinner Foundation, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Side-by-side comparison with a clinical decision framework
Research-backed educational guide for behavior analysts
Research-backed answers to common clinical questions
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.