Researchers in behavioral sciences are often interested in longitudinal behavior change outcomes and the mechanisms that influence changes in these outcomes over time. The statistical models that are typically implemented to address these research questions do not allow for investigation of mechanisms of dynamic change over time. However, latent…

Functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) provides a behavioral analysis of the psychotherapy relationship that directly applies basic research findings to outpatient psychotherapy settings. Specifically, FAP suggests that a therapist's in vivo (i.e., in-session) contingent responding to targeted client behaviors, particularly positive reinforcement…

Positive behavior support (PBS) is an empirically driven approach to improve quality of life influenced by the science of behavior analysis. Recent discussions have evolved around PBS, behavior analysis, and their relationship within education and human services fields. To date, few data have been offered to guide behaviorally oriented…

Research supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health. Reprints from Kenneth Heller, Dept. of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.

This paper considers five empirical and theoretical issues which have arisen from a comparison of behavioral analyses in controlled laboratory settings and similar analyses in naturalistic human environments. (Editor)

An international movement has focused on identifying evidence-based interventions that were developed to change psychological constructs and that are supported by controlled studies. However, inconsistent findings within individual intervention studies and among multiple studies raise critical problems in interpreting the evidence, and deciding…

Analog baselines are an experimental methodology for identifying the functions of maladaptive behavior of individuals with developmental disabilities in naturally occurring environments. This article identifies potential limitations of this methodology, including: fidelity of baseline design conditions, a narrow analysis of behavior, and limited…

This paper deals with two problems confronting the applied researcher using a behavior analysis approach. The first is concerned with the need for independence of behaviors, subjects and settings. The effectiveness with which the researcher can solve this type of problem depends on the researcher's emphasis on the examination of procedures, and…

Presents a speculative model for predicting differential rates of therapeutic change. From a review of 52 comparative psychotherapy studies, certain hypothesized relationships between the characteristics constituting the model and a variety of psychological treatment procedures were assessed. Use of the model for generating and guiding research is…

Measurement issues relating to behavior modeling research are discussed. Researchers have successfully demonstrated the ability of behavior modeling to produce significant behavioral change in the training milieu, but have been less successful in showing the transfer of such change to everyday situations, a problem partially caused by measurement…

This paper describes the results of a study to: (1) design and evaluate three clinically practicable (e.g., non-analogue) regimens which emphasize treatment components of either behavioral rehearsal and feedback, anxiety management, or a combination of anxiety management and behavior reversal/feedback, and (2) examine the relative effectiveness of…

The methodological aspects of the behavior analysis movement are often overlooked in favor of focusing on the powerful effects of rewards and punsihments used systematically in a behavior-modification paradigm. The methodological aspects are important for the topic of research on teaching because they create a situation where the teacher acts both…

This commentary on assessing the social validity of behavior-change programs examines which groups should be included in the assessment, whether social validity assessment should be required, and whether new methods are needed. The paper notes that social validation should be an interactive process between researcher and consumer. (JDD)

This paper is based on a PhD dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles. Research supported in part by the U.S. Public Health Service.

Combining psycholinguistic technologies and systems analysis created advances in motivational profiling and numerous new behavioral engineering applications. These advances leapfrog many mainstream statistical research methods, producing superior research results via cause-effect language mechanisms. Entire industries explore motives ranging from…