The current experiment is a systematic replication of previous studies that evaluated the efficiency of echoic and tact prompts on the acquisition of intraverbals (i.e., French-to-English translations) following exposure to each prompt type. We extended these studies by (a) evaluating participants' language skills on standardized assessments, (b)…

Teaching with acoustical guidance involves auditory feedback (e.g., a click sound when a desired behavior occurs) as part of a multicomponent intervention known as TAGteach. TAGteach has been found to improve performance in sport, dance, surgical technique, and walking. We compared the efficacy and efficiency of the standard TAGteach…

Although functional analysis is a powerful tool for testing the function of challenging behavior, it is not always feasible or appropriate to include as a component of functional behavior assessment (FBA). Alternative experimental analysis methods are needed to inform individualized interventions in schools, particularly for students who engage in…

Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is a low-intensity strategy widely used to encourage appropriate behavior. We sought to explore the vast literature base for BSP, which spans 50 years, to better understand for whom and under what conditions BSP has demonstrated effectiveness. We conducted a comprehensive review of school-based intervention studies…

This study focuses on the relationship between reinforcement sensitivity and aggression according to the combination of forms and functions of aggression (i.e. proactive overt, proactive relational, reactive overt and reactive relational), and on the moderating role of gender in this relationship. The survey included 656 adolescents (55.33% male)…

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a widely studied and often used approach to working with human behavior. However, there are numerous myths surrounding what ABA is, who is it for, and how it is implemented. The purpose of this article is to identify, explain origins of, and dispel seven common myths about ABA.

Identifying critical decisions is one of the most challenging decision-making problems in real-world applications. In this work, we propose a novel Reinforcement Learning (RL) based Long-Short Term Rewards (LSTR) framework for critical decisions identification. RL is a machine learning area concerning with inducing effective decision-making…

Formal preference assessments are commonly implemented as a way to evaluate potential reinforcers for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. Today there are numerous formal preference assessments that can be used clinically, and which have been evaluated empirically.…

The purpose of this study is to investigate three elementary preservice teachers' (PSTs') conceptions of and reflections on the role of perseverance in mathematics. This study presents findings regarding the PSTs' perseverance conceptions, student interactions, and the PSTs reflections from a two-week summer math camp in which they assisted in…

Objective: School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a national surveillance system operated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A school-based system of surveys, Profiles monitors school health policies and practices in US states and other jurisdictions through questionnaires completed by school principals and lead health education…

Although evidence-based practices for improving academic engagement for students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) have been identified, many teachers do not implement these practices with optimal fidelity. Thus, effective strategies are needed to improve teacher fidelity. Performance feedback is an effective professional…

This qualitative action research study examined the SAGES academic coaching program, a pilot program for first-year students who identify as having a disability. The study focused on the student-coach relationship and goal setting during coaching. Five students and three coaches participated in the study. I observed one coaching session for each…

Managing social dynamics is a critical aspect of creating a positive learning environment in classrooms. In this paper three key interrelated ideas, reinforcement, function, and motivating operations, are discussed with relation to managing social behavior.

A lag schedule of reinforcement is one way to increase response variability; however, previous research has been mixed with regard to the necessary parameters to increase variability. For some individuals, low schedule requirements (e.g., Lag 1) are sufficient to increase variability. For other individuals, higher lag schedules (e.g., Lag 3) or a…

The paper picks up from the widespread use by politicians and some educational theorists of maximising (including optimising) notions about those being educated such as 'reach their full potential' or 'make the best of themselves' or 'develop their talents to the full'. The paper discusses then puts some of these ideas on one side to focus on the…