Some Background
Using accessible language to communicate knowledge from behavior analysis is essential for effective: teaching, dissemination, intra and interdisciplinary collaborations, interventions and marketing in the field. The focus of this blog is on teaching. Technical terminology or jargon may be confusing and evoke negative emotions in individuals who do not have a history of training in behavior analysis (Lindsley, 1991). Such confusion and negative emotions may disrupt the social acceptability of behavior analysis and the process of teaching it (Critchfield et al., 2017).
Critchfield and colleagues (2017) examined the social validity of behavior-analytic terms. After comparing behavior-analytic technical terms with of more generally used professional terms (scientific and clinical), the authors identified a tendency for behavior-analytic terms to be considered more unpleasant. They discussed possible reasons for this outcome and how better communication in our field will be guided by science.
Pertinently, Critchfield also has written a series of recent blog posts called, The Quest to Communicate About Behavior Analysis, here in our site under the section Something Interesting. This current series of five posts provides ideas to start moving away from complaining about the lack of accessible behavior-analytic language to actually doing and promoting it. Below I share some thoughts based on my reading of each blog post to spark your interest to click on each, enjoy, and experiment in your classes.
Quest #1 We Need to Be More Behavioral About This. How to promote a key behavior of effective communicators to address world pressing problems, cooperation.
Quest #2: A WIDER REACH is within our reach. Learn about Adam Hockman’s program to write for more accessible audiences.
Quest #3: No-Paragraphs Naomi and the Tyranny of Text. With a memorable case study, Critchfield invites reflection, empathy, and actions on current students’ histories with text, “society’s tolerance of the printed word” and how “Reading Is Hard”.
Quest #4: The Power of a Good Story. How can storytelling be teaching and bring joy to our students.
Quest #5: Beyond Books and Journals. How graphic novels, Podcasts, videos, and music can stimulate learning and teaching.
Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in the Mass Media
I want to tell you about two other individuals in our field who succeed at communicating behavior analysis well to broad audiences: Stuart Vyse and Susan Schneider. Both Vyse (in 2024) and Schneider (in 2015) have been presented with ABAI’s Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in the Mass Media Awards.
“This award is presented to an individual who writes or produces printed, audio, or video information that informs the public about a scientific discovery or important application in behavior analysis, and in doing so, presents an accurate analysis of the principles involved and the effects achieved.” (Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis).
Vyse received this award for his books written for general audience that include behavior analysis. Among some of his books are Going Broke Why Americans (Still) Can’t Hold on To Their Money, and also Believing in Magic The Psychology of Superstition. Vyse also has a monthly columnin Skeptical Inquirer. On his website, he also keeps a blog.
Schneider, who also received this award has many accomplishments in the field of behavior analysis, most currently dedicated to addressing climate change from the perspective of behavior science. The award centered on book The Science of Consequences, How They Affect Genes, Change the Brain, and Impact Our World. Schneider’s book is now available in Spanish, La Ciencia de Las Consecuencias. She also has a blog and keeps an updated list of recommended (an annotated) books on climate change and sustainability.
I see that Critchfield, Vyse, and Schneider have at least two things in common: they are dedicated to communicating behavioral science to a broad audience, and they use blogs as one way to accomplish such communication. Plus, in higher education the use of blogs has gained popularity in a variety of fields (Bonderup Dohn, 2010; Mormer, 2018).
Consider Using Blogs to Teach Behavior Analysis
But, what is a blog?
This is a blog. Ok, the answer to the question does end here. A few general characteristics of blogs from WIXBlog are, they are:
- Aimed at a broader audience,
- Often written in a conversational style
- Presented in reverse chronological order (with the most recent blog posted first),
- Can be personal or professional, and
- Can be an essential part of online community building
- Provide links to other websites, and resources
Although blogs may be used to journal or chronicle experiences, the uses of blogs have expanded (Polner et al., 2024; Powell et al., 2012). For instance, the purpose our Behavior Analysis Blogs,
“(…) is to connect behavior analyst practitioners, researchers, academicians, and other supporters of the field to newsworthy items relevant to the science of behavior. Included will be news stories, scholarly articles, commentaries, and occasional guest bloggers. All the bloggers will be sharing their perspectives on various aspects of our science and its links to both practice and the world at large.” (https://science.abainternational.org/)
Image above is a screenshot of Behavior Analysis Blogs website from: https://science.abainternational.org/
The appeal and challenge of using blogs as tools for teaching is the flexibility in their format, allowing for creativity and development of style. This may be away to guide students into finding “finding a voice” in behavior science. But, what is to develop a voice? Maybe we can think about guiding students to develop their own perspectives by seeking contact with sources, searching for evidence, and expressing their views in conversation and a more informal style of writing.
Blogs can complement other pedagogical strategies and techniques (Powell et al., 2012). For example, Joshi and Chugh (2008) used blogs to promote student engagement, cooperative work, and reflective thinking.
At this year’s ABAI 50th annual convention in Philadelphia, I approached Dr. Vyse to congratulate him on receiving the award mentioned above. We talked about reaching a wider audience through writing. We agreed that venturing into writing for a general audience involves unlearning many behavior patterns learned during graduate school. For instance, finding a citation for an idea may block the flow of other ideas that may be more fluidly expressed in conversation. The conversational style of a blog may ease the flow, while still allowing for incorporation of citations.
I’m not trying to argue against APA writing style and format. There is a reason and a place for it. I am acknowledging that APA style can be disruptive to students and instructors when trying to communicate to a wider audience. This is a pertinent topic to discuss with students and promote reciprocal understanding and empathy.
If teaching student to write following APA style and formatting is hard, should we also emphasize teaching how to write for general audiences? Can we do both in the same course? Is there enough time in a semester?
Teaching with Blogs
The Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University offers some great resources and rationale for using blogs as teaching tools. More specifically, blogs can be helpful tools for instructors interested in enhancing their students’ communication skills and increasing their students’ investment in learning (Oliver & Coble, 2016).
In their site, The Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt includes instructional videos of professors from different fields (theater, astronomy, English, and more) who have used blogs for teaching and find tools to get started with blog exercises and assignments in your classes. There are also sample student blog posts. Importantly, The Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt has articulated considerations when using blogs in teaching such as decisions on whether the blogs prepared by students should be made public or private; how to provide comments on blog posts; consider the time required for blogging.
Considering the value of the Behavior Analysis Blogs, I propose that these blogs could be used as:
Reading Assignments
Blogs can provide students with evidence-based information in an accessible way (Powell et al., 2012). Specifically, Behavior Analysis blogs could be used as introductory reading to complex topics such as adjunctive behavior or self-control. Other blogs that may be used in for teaching history of behavior analysis are the series Pioneers, but more broadly the blog category History of Behavior Analysis offers blogs that could be introductory reading assignments. Blogs within organization management for a course specific that area of behavior analysis or perhaps an introduction to subfields of behavior analysis are in the category Behavior in Organizations.
For continuing our learning and professional development opportunities, the category of blogs Behavior Analysis Practice Community offers a variety of valuable blogs that can be used as introductory reading assignments. For example, the series Considering Diagnoses offers a tutorial to making sense of psychiatric labels to better prepare behavior analysts who explain these labels to families of clients.
Similarly, to introduce students to the importance and of impact of interdisciplinary collaborations in behavior analysis with students, a recent blog, Building Bridges with Behavior Analysis: The Power of Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Dissemination includes examples of innovative projects involving interdisciplinary collaborations, how to establish such collaborations, and their long-term impact.
As Writing Assignments
As has been shown before, blogs may be useful to develop writing skills. The Behavior Analysis blogs provide a wide variety of exemplars to teach how to write a blog. One writing activity could be about identifying different styles of writing. Along with corresponding blog coordinator, the Behavior Analysis blogs regularly include guest authors with different backgrounds and areas of expertise. Such variability of authorship illustrates a variety of writing styles.
The Behavior Analysis blogs sometimes highlight particular behavior-analytic publications which sets the occasion for teaching crucial writing and research practices such as crediting sources. Writing blogs could be a way to teach the importance crediting sources, and protection of intellectual property. Specifically, writing a blog will involve incorporating citations (in-text and parenthetical) as well as reference entries. Additionally, the topic of building identity and community in behavior analysis and across other fields could be reflected in The Behavior Analysis Blogs that showcase recently published work in behavior-analytic journals and those celebrating the legacy of various behavior analysts.
As Complement to Scholarship
In conversation with colleagues in behavior analysis and other fields such as sociology, I learn that blogging may be a tool to explore areas of scholarship. Specifically, blogging may offer a space to develop ideas that may turn into more formalize forms of scholarship such as presentations or research articles.
My colleague in Sociology Dr. Virginia Rutter, who among other amazing things, contributes to Girl w/Pen! @ and founded The Council on Contemporary Families @ The Society Pages blog, shared the following about writing blogs:
“I think it is really fun to write about things that you want to think and try out and then share it–just helps keep one moving forward a bit” (personal communication, November 22, 2023).
In addition, Powell et al. (2012) stated that,
“Blogging is a distinct form of authorship that can support the goals of higher education institutions and can complement and contribute to traditional forms of scholarly publication.” (p. 272)
Furthermore, and thinking about blogs as a form of outreach,
“(…) researchers, educators, and extension personnel at publicly-funded institutions should be encouraged to use blogs and other new media to strengthen relations with public stakeholders and enhance their engagement with interested individuals, groups, and subject matter experts.” (Powell et al., 2012, p. 272)
Takeaways
Blogs can be used as a teaching and learning tools for students and teachers of behavior analysis. We all are learners, but specifically, for students, blogs may be useful to introduce complex topics in behavior analysis. For instructors, blogs may be a way to communicate with other professionals, receive feedback, practice writing, and exploring topics of scholarship. We have a wealth of blogs in ABAI Blogs that can complement certain topics, lessons, and assignments.
As Critchfield et al. (2017) advise that we have to move from anecdotes of how language can disrupt the proper course of behavior analysis to finding evidence that supports such claims, we have to do the same with finding whether the potentially of blogs for teaching behavior analysis is actually evidence by learning and training behavior analysts.
As Critchfield noted in Quest #5, media such as Podcasts have gained popularity in our field. Take ABA Inside Track, Behavioral Observations, and The Behaviour Speak Podcast, as examples or current podcasts in behavior analysts. Podcasts as well as blogs offer discussions, perspectives, and content on behavior analysis in a more accessible and conversational format. The potential of these behavior-analytic Podcasts as teaching tools is also worth examining and may be a topic for another blog.
References
Bonderup Dohn, N. (2010). Teaching with wikis and blogs: Potentials and pitfalls.. In l. Dirckinck-Holmfeld et al. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning (pp. 145-150). Retrieved from: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/past/nlc2010/abstracts/PDFs/Dohn.pdf
Critchfield, T. S., Doepke, K. J., Kimberly Epting, L., Becirevic, A., Reed, D. D., Fienup, D. M., Kremsreiter, J. L., & Ecott, C. L. (2017). Normative emotional responses to behavior analysis jargon or how not to use words to win friends and influence people. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 10(2), 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0161-9
Joshi, M., & Chugh, R. (2008). New paradigms in the teaching and learning of accounting: Use of educational blogs for reflective thinking. International Journal of Education and Development using ICT, 5(3). Retrieved from http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=664
Lindsley O. R. (1991). From technical jargon to plain English for application. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24(3), 449–458. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1991.24-449
Mormer, E. (2018). What’s in your teaching toolbox? Seminars in Hearing, 39(1), 107–114. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1613710
Oliver, K. H. & Coble, R. R. (2016). Teaching with blogs. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved August 22, 2024 from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-with-blogs/
Polner, M. et al. (2024, April 29). How to start a blog and make money in 2024. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/start-a-blog/
Powell, D. A., Jacob, C. J. & Chapman, B. J. (2012). Using blogs and new media in academic practice: Potential roles in research, teaching, learning, and extension. Innovative Higher Education, 37, 271–282 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-011-9207-7