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1 BACB Ethics CEUs $30 1 hr 1 min On-Demand

Ethics CEU: The Functional and Ethical Implications of Behavior-Speak, or: How to Talk About Behavior Analysis Like a Lay-Person

Behavior analysis has developed one of the most precise technical vocabularies in all of the social sciences. Terms like "reinforcement," "extinction," "establishing operation," and "discriminative stimulus" allow practitioners to describe functional relations between behavior and environment with remarkable specificity.

Provider: BehaviorLive — via The Verbal Behavior Conference

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Course Description

Behavior analytic terminology allows us to speak with precision about functional relations between behavior and environment, thus allowing for greater control over relevant variables. However, some have pointed out that our technical terms can be both perplexing and off-putting to others, perhaps even more so than those used in other fields. Thus, it remains important to teach students of behavior analysis to communicate behavior analytic principles and procedures using both behavioral terminology (behavior-speak) and everyday language. This talk will provide an overview of the relevant research findings on comprehension, perception, and attitudes toward behavior analytic terminology. I will discuss these issues based on the ethics code for behavior analysts as well as Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior.

What You'll Learn

  1. Identify ethical considerations related to the use of behavior analytic terminology when communicating with non-behavioral audiences.
  2. Describe the potential impact of technical jargon on public perception of behavior analysis and its services.
  3. Apply strategies for translating behavior analytic concepts into everyday language while maintaining ethical standards.

CEU Credits Earned

Certification BodyCreditsType
BACB® 1 Ethics

About the Instructor

EI
Einar Ingvarsson
PhD, BCBA-D, LBA

Einar T. Ingvarsson is the Director of Training and Research at VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment, where he oversees staff training, professional development, and research projects. Einar holds a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in behavioral psychology from the University of Kansas. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in Virginia. He currently teaches behavior analysis courses at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. Einar has authored over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and several book chapters. He previously served as associate editor for both the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB), and currently serves on the editorial boards of JABA, TAVB, Behavioral Interventions, and European Journal of Behavior Analysis.

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Clinical Disclaimer

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.

60+ Free CEUs — ethics, supervision & clinical topics