On Building Bridges and Building Fences belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter language assessment, teaching sessions, caregiver coaching, and natural communication routines. In On Building Bridges and Building Fences, for this course, the practical stakes show up in clearer case conceptualization, better instructional targets, and stronger generalization, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →At the genesis of applied behavior analysis our founders were compelled to distinguish the science (and practice) of applied behavior analysis from our foundational roots in the experimental analysis of behavior. The distinction created what may have been a necessary "line in the sand" so that a fledging discipline could pave its own path. As the science and practice of applied behavior analysis matured, researchers in the applied domain and those from the basic domain began communicating and even coordinating research. This increased communication and coordination is sometimes called translational research. Translational behavior analytic research is emblematic of building bridges between 2 or more areas of research. However, the tendency to vehemently distinguish what we do in the science of behavior from that which others do in their thematically related areas of specialty (e.g., economics, education, developmental psychology) has slowed the potential impact and uptake (dissemination) of behavior analysis. That is, historically, we tend to build fences to keep the behavior analysis "in" and most everything else "out." I will make the case that the practice of building such fences has slowed the potential dissemination of behavior analysis. In this presentation I will: (a) provide several examples of the ways in which we have benefited from the practice of building bridges, (b) suggest some bridges that I would like to see built, and (c) caution against practices and rhetoric that divide in favor of those that unite.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
| FL MH/PSY | 1 | — |
Brief Bio Dr. Borrero earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida. He is Professor of Psychology at UMBC, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Maryland. At UMBC Dr. Borrero directs the Applied Behavior Analysis M.A. track and mentors doctoral students in Applied Developmental Psychology. Dr. Borrero has published over 60 articles and chapters and his work has addressed a variety of topics including the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior, choice, and strategies to promote infant development. Dr. Borrero is the 2008 recipient of the B. F. Skinner New Researcher Award and the 2021 recipient of the Don Hake Translational Research award, both presented by Division 25 of the American Psychological Association, and a 2022 recipient of the Mid-Career Excellence award presented by the College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences at UMBC. Dr. Borrero serves on the Board of Directors of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and previously served as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
183 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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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.