Abstract
Promoting an inclusive culture can be critical to the progression of diverse groups. Practicing inclusive behavior is one important step toward fostering inclusion. Applied behavior analysis can contribute much to this topic given its use of practical methods to encourage socially significant behavior change (Baer et al., 1968). Proper pronoun use is one inclusive behavior that helps support gender minorities. Whereas self-assessment has been recommended to increase cultural awareness, this has not been confirmed through research. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of a specific approach to self-assessment (behavioral self-monitoring; BSM) on the percentage of correct pronouns used by graduate students during a simulated work task. Results indicate that BSM was effective in promoting proper pronoun use when it followed BSM training, and the effects maintained over time.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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An element of deception was necessary for this study to prevent reactivity. Due to this requirement for deception, the institutional review board waived full informed consent at the beginning of the study. A consent form for audio and video recording was administered at the beginning. Each participant was also informed of their right to withdraw at any time and both provided consent to participate. Additionally, at the conclusion of the study, participants were debriefed on the true nature of the study, and the authors affirm that the human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the data in Figure 1.
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Research Highlights
• Behavior-analytic techniques can be applied to increase trans-inclusive behaviors.
• Proper pronoun use is one example of an inclusive behavior that validates an individual’s gender identity and can be increased through applying behavior-analytic strategies.
• Increasing proper pronoun use can lead to socially significant outcomes.
• Behavioral self-monitoring can be an easy and cost-effective approach to promote proper pronoun use.
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Petronelli, A., Ferguson, R. Into Inclusion: Increasing Trans-Inclusive Practices with Behavior Analysis. Behav Analysis Practice 15, 845–856 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00669-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00669-2