In this episode of the Behaviorist Book Club, host Matt Harrington delves into the research study 'Evaluations of heart rate during functional analyses of destructive behavior' by McCabe and Greer, published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis in 2023. The study aimed to explore whether heart rate could serve as a predictive signal for upcoming destructive behavior, thereby enhancing the safety and efficacy of functional analyses.

Despite the excitement around the potential of integrating heart rate monitors into functional analysis procedures, the study concluded with a null effect, finding no discernible pattern that would allow heart rate to predict destructive behavior. However, Harrington emphasizes the significance of this research in sparking discussions on the potential implications of successful heart rate monitoring and its role in advancing the field of applied behavior analysis.

The episode also touches on the broader concepts of covert and overt behaviors, the importance of caregiver interviews in identifying behavioral precursors, and the future possibilities of utilizing advanced technology to uncover such covert precursors. Harrington concludes by encouraging further research and dialogue within the community, highlighting the episode's relevance to clinicians and researchers interested in behavior analysis and the innovative use of technology in the field.

Show notes, links to article, and transcript are available at https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog

In this episode of the Behaviorist Book Club, host Matt Harrington examines a 2023 research article by Haney and colleagues from the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The study, originating from the Kennedy Krieger Institute, explores how negative reinforcement can enhance self-feeding behaviors in children with feeding disorders.

Through a controlled consecutive case series at the Kennedy Krieger Institute Behavioral Feeding Program between 2017 and 2019, researchers investigated the efficacy of ending meals early as negative reinforcement to increase self-feeding, considering various response efforts. The study's results indicate that escape-maintained self-feeding can remain effective even as response effort increases.

The podcast also highlights the importance of caregiver involvement in feeding therapy and discusses the ethical considerations and challenges of using escape as reinforcement. Matt contrasts skill acquisition with motivation, emphasizing the complexity of behavioral feeding issues and the need for more nuanced treatment approaches beyond negative reinforcement alone.

Show notes, links to article, and transcript are available at https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog

In this episode of the Behaviorist Book Club podcast, host Matt Harrington delves into a 2023 article by Hagopian and colleagues on applying the evolutionary theory of behavioral dynamics to severe challenging behavior. The discussion begins with an introduction to natural selection and its relation to behavior analysis, emphasizing the importance of both phylogeny and ontogeny.

The focus then shifts to the main topic of building artificial organisms through computer codes based on behavior analysis principles to simulate thousands of experiments on behavior change. This concept is illustrated through three simulated studies: functional analysis, functional communication training plus fading, and competing stimulus assessment, showing high matching results between artificial organisms and real clinical scenarios.

The episode concludes with reflections on the potential future applications of such artificial organisms in developing new technologies and improving clinical practice, alongside encouragement for listeners to engage with the content and join the ABA Cafe Facebook group for further discussion.

Show notes, links to article, and transcript are available at https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog