Skip to main content
Log in

What Counts as High-Quality Practitioner Training in Applied Behavior Analysis?

  • Discussion and Review Paper
  • Published:
Behavior Analysis in Practice Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dixon and colleagues (this issue), who support faculty research productivity as one measure of quality for graduate training programs in applied behavior analysis, show that the faculty members of many programs have limited research track records. I provide some context for their findings by discussing some of the many unanswered questions about the role of research training for ABA practitioners.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barlow, D. H., Hayes, S. C., & Nelson, R. O. (1984). The scientist practitioner: research and accountability in clinical and educational settings. Oxford: Pergammon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brentano, L. (1969). On the history and development of guilds and the origin of trade-unions. New York: Burt Franklin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bud, R., & Roberts, G. K. (1984). Science versus practice: chemistry in Victorian Britain. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cautin, R. L., & Baker, D. B. (2014). A history of education and training in professional psychology. In W. B. Johnson & N. J. Kaslow (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of education and training in professional psychology (pp. 17–32). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Critchfield, T. S. (2011a). Interesting times: practice, science, and professional associations in behavior analysis. The Behavior Analyst, 34, 297–310.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Critchfield, T. S. (2011b). Translational contributions of the experimental analysis of behavior. The Behavior Analyst, 34.

  • Critchfield, T. S., & Reed, D. D. (2005). Conduits of translation in behavior-science bridge research. In J. E. Burgos & E. Ribes (Eds.), Theory, basic and applied research, and technological applications in behavior science: conceptual and methodological issues (pp. 45–84). Guadalajara: University of Guadalajara Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, M.R., Reed, D.D., Smith, T., Belisle, J., & Jackson, R.E. (2015). Research rankings of behavior analytic graduate training programs and their faculty. Behavior Analysis in Practice. (in press).

  • Jones, E. P. (2007). Physician assistant education in the United States. Academic Medicine, 82, 882–887. doi:10.1097/acm.0b013e31812f7c0c.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mace, F. C., & Critchfield, T. S. (2010). Translational research in behavior analysis: historical traditions and imperative for the future. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 93, 293–312. doi:10.1901/jeab. 2010.93-293.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nazaroff, W. W. (2005). Measuring research productivity. Indoor Air, 15, 382. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0668.2005.00403.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, L. E., & Detterman, D. K. (1988). The balance between clinical and research interests among Boulder Model graduate students. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 19, 342–344. doi:10.1037//0735-7028.19.3.342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patihis, L., Ho, L. Y., Tingen, I. W., Lilienfeld, S. O., & Loftus, E. F. (2014). Are the “memory wars” over? A scientist-practitioner gap in beliefs about repressed memory. Psychological Science, 25, 519–530. doi:10.1177/0956797613510718.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poling, A. (2010). Looking to the future: will behavior analysis survive and prosper? The Behavior Analyst, 33, 7–17.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Radicchi, F., & Castellano, C. (2011). Rescaling citations of publications in physics. Physical Review E, 83(4), 046116. doi:10.1103/physreve.83.046116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shook, G. L. (1993). The professional credential in behavior analysis. The Behavior Analyst, 16, 87–101.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wootton, R. (2013). A simple, generalizable method for measuring individual research productivity and its use in the long-term analysis of departmental performance, including between-country comparisons. Health Research Policy and Systems, 11(2). doi:10.1186/1478-4505-11-2

  • Zachar, P., & Leong, F. T. L. (2000). A 10-year longitudinal study of scientists and practitioner interests in psychology: assessing the Boulder model. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 31, 575–580. doi:10.1186/1478-4505-11-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas S. Critchfield.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Critchfield, T.S. What Counts as High-Quality Practitioner Training in Applied Behavior Analysis?. Behav Analysis Practice 8, 3–6 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-015-0049-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-015-0049-0

Keywords

Navigation