Rethinking Dissemination: Storytelling as a Part of the Repertoire

To maximize its influence, applied behavior analysis must both create solutions and shape public policy to implement those solutions at scale. From the perspective of data‐driven decision making, it is illogical to talk about seeking public policy influence without consulting evidence showing when influence has been achieved. One relevant form of evidence is the attention that behavioral solutions receive in published discussions about policy issues, and here I show how much of this attention has been earned by articles published in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. I also propose using the same kind of data to support finer grained analyses focusing on specific behavior problems, specific types of interventions, and the research programs of individual investigators. Although this is far from a complete account of the influence of applied behavior analysis on policy, it is better to have data than none if the goal is to transform the quest for influence on policy from a matter of speculation and casual discussion into an evidence‐based practice.

Section: Feedback About Individual Research Programsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A peek into the room where it happens: Quantifying ABA's influence on public policy discussions

Critchfield

2024

“…It is somewhat ironic that what is arguably a science of influence (behavior analysis) has not been more effective at influencing the adoption rate of a science of influence. (Detrich, 2018, p. 541)…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The gap between the potential of behavior analysis to help make the world a more humane place and society's limited acceptance and adoption of what the science has to offer bothered Ronnie deeply. What sets Ronnie apart from many behavior analysts who have wrung their hands over society's failure to come running for our good stuff is that he dedicated much of his later career to studying the science of dissemination (e.g., Baron, 2010; Rogers, 2003) and shared what he learned with the behavior analysis community (Detrich, 2018; Slocum et al, 2012).…”

Section: Old Dogs Children and Watermelon Wine (Bill Heward)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is a complex task and may best be accomplished by a team of “story tellers” who have the necessary skills to work with these different audiences. (Detrich, 2018, p. 546)…”

Section: Old Dogs Children and Watermelon Wine (Bill Heward)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whatever the case, he had a lot to say about how to behaviorally understand the place of behavior analysis in a larger society. For those who might have overlooked Ronnie, as an introduction to his legacy we recommend articles on evidence-based practice (Detrich et al, 2007;Slocum et al, 2014;Spencer et al, 2012), treatment integrity (Detrich, 2014, Detrich et al, 2010, and dissemination and program adoption (Detrich, 2013a(Detrich, , 2013b(Detrich, , 2018(Detrich, , 2020Detrich & Keyworth, 2016;Pinkelman et al, 2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ronnie Detrich (1946–2023): A Versatile Behavior Analyst Who Demanded More of Behavior Analysis and Education

Twyman,

Pinkelman,

Kenyon

et al. 2023

Those of us who think in terms of legacies hope that, when our time comes to cease being a behavior analyst (when they pry that tattered copy of Science and Human Behavior from our cold, dead hands 1 ), we will be remembered for doing something well. The difficulty in memorializing our friend and colleague Ronnie Detrich (Figure 1), who passed away peacefully on September 9, 2023, is that he was, in whatever he chose to work on, among the best we ever met.Ronnie worked on a lot of things over a career that spanned more than 5 decades. His early professional years were spent delivering services to people with disabilities in places where few wanted to tread: the back ward of a state hospital, a desperately underfunded Native American reservation, and schools that needed but didn't want his expertise. Between then and 2023, he also conducted translational research in a pigeon laboratory, conducted applied research on correspondence training, helped to build a model service delivery agency (Spectrum Center), and cofounded a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting evidence-based education (the Wing Institute 2 ). He read and discussed philosophy, developed rigorous but supportive staff supervision systems, and organized multidisciplinary events that brought together behavior analysts and others who care deeply about the education system and the people it serves.The thing about Ronnie was that if you weren't paying close attention, you could easily miss him. He was the furthest thing possible from a self-promoter, and if he had something to promote-for instance, mission-driven Wing Institute "think tank" gatherings-the topic was front and center. First and foremost, he was a listener. When he did speak up, his message was forceful and incisive, yet designed to advance the conversation, not to advance his standing. No one we've known more comfortably embodied Skinner's (1972) perspective on personal credit and responsibility, as laid out in "A lecture on 'having a poem'" and elsewhere.During the second half of his career, Ronnie took aim at two things he found intolerable: that the public education system should be mediocre and that behavior

A systematic review of social‐validity assessments in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis: 2010–2020

Leif,

Kelenc‐Gasior,

Bloomfield

et al. 2024

We conducted a systematic review of studies published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis between 2010 and 2020 to identify reports of social validity. A total of 160 studies (17.60%) published during this time included a measure of social validity. For each study, we extracted data on (a) the dimensions of social validity, (b) the methods used for collecting social‐validity data, (c) the respondents, and (d) when social‐validity data were collected. Most social‐validity assessments measured the acceptability of intervention procedures and outcomes, with fewer evaluating goals. The most common method for collecting social validity data was Likert‐type rating scales, followed by non‐Likert‐type questionnaires. In most studies, the direct recipients of the intervention provided feedback on social validity. Social‐validity assessment data were often collected at the conclusion of the study. We provide examples of social‐validity measurement methods, discuss their strengths and limitations, and provide recommendations for improving the future collection and reporting of social‐validity data.