ABA on Call

Peer review does not guarantee good science, and publication in a respected journal does not relieve practitioners of the responsibility to think critically. In this episode of ABA on Call, Rick and Doug revisit seven questions Hank Pennypacker used to teach students how to evaluate research, beginning with the experimental question and moving through behavioral measurement, observation, experimental design, data analysis, and the ...

In this episode of ABA on Call, Rick Kubina and Doug Kostewicz respond to two real parenting questions drawn from social media. First, they examine the common misconception that reinforcement and bribery are the same, clarifying the behavioral principles underlying reinforcement, incentives, schedules of reinforcement, and the Premack Principle. They then analyze a complex family situation in which young children consistently seek ...

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently released audit findings that have sparked widespread discussion throughout the applied behavior analysis (ABA) community. In this episode, Rick Kubina, Doug Kostewicz, and guest Christina Scenna unpack what the OIG report actually says and, just as importantly, what it does not say. They discuss why documentation and billing compliance differ from the effectiveness of ABA, explore ...

In this episode of ABA on Call, Rick Kubina and Doug Kostewicz interview a renowned Norwegian dog trainer about the science of behavior across species. Morten Egtvedt shares his journey from training search-and-rescue dogs as a teenager to helping introduce clicker training throughout Norway alongside Karen Pryor. The discussion explores how core behavioral principles such as timing, reinforcement, fluency, shaping, and criterion a...

In this episode of ABA on Call, hosts Rick Kubina and Doug Kostewicz explore the transition from practitioner to business owner with guests April and Stephen Smith from 3PiSquared. The conversation traces their journey from early clinical work in ABA to launching and scaling a successful practice, highlighting the realities of entrepreneurship in the field. Listeners gain insight into common startup pathways, costly early mistakes,...

This podcast episode explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into applied behavior analysis practice, featuring Kelly King, BCBA, Manager of Clinical AI Governance at CentralReach. The discussion highlights the evolution of AI technologies, including large l...

This episode features a discussion focused on equipping behavior analysts with practical strategies for communicating effectively with parents about core behavioral principles. Rick and Doug examine common parent concerns, including misconceptions about reinforcement versus bribery, objections to "rewarding" children for expected behavior, and the short- and long-term effects of yellin...

In the Season 8 premiere of ABA On Call, Rick and Doug kick off the year by responding to three of the most pressing listener questions from the past season: how behavior analysts should think about punishment and ethics, how well-intended ABA can accidentally cause harm, and how the field can better address professional burnout. The conversation examines punishment through a technical, ethical, and real-world lens, emphasizing wel...

This episode explores the often-confused concepts of morality and ethics and examines how each guides human action both in daily life and in professional practice. Morality reflects the norms and values individuals and cultures use to judge right and wrong, while ethics serves as a formal system for evaluating and regulating behavior within professions. Building on this distinction, the episode introduces a scientific perspective o...

In this episode of ABA On Call, Rick and Doug sit down with doctoral student Christina Sena from the University of Pittsburgh to explore how ethical principles guide mentorship, clinical decision-making, and professional development in Applied Behavior Analysis. The conversation spans three critical areas: the ethics of mentorship and what it truly means to guide another professional beyond mere supervision; the ethical implication...

This episode of ABA On Call features an engaging discussion with Jennifer Shahin and Nicole Lockerman, co-founders of Social Wise VR, a company pioneering the use of immersive virtual reality to teach social skills. Drawing from backgrounds in applied behavior analysis and education, the guests describe how outdated methods, such as worksheets and role-plays, often fail to generalize to real-life contexts. Social Wise VR addresses ...

Rick and Doug are joined by Dr. Jen Wertalik of Georgia Southern University and Dr. Pam Wolfe, retired from Penn State University, to discuss their groundbreaking new book on sexuality education for individuals with disabilities. The conversation explores why sexuality education is essential, the heightened risks of abuse faced by this population, and how comprehensive instruction extends far beyond physiology to inc...

In this episode of ABA On Call, Drs. Rick Kubina and Doug Kostewicz delve into the cognitive psychology classic "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. With wit and depth, they explore System 1 and System 2 thinking, cognitive biases, regression to the mean, and the law of least effort, recasting each concept through a behavioral analytic lens. Rather than dismissing the cognitive approach, Rick and Doug model ...

In this insightful episode of ABA On Call, Rick Kubina and Doug Kostewicz tackle some of the most commonly misunderstood and misapplied concepts in Applied Behavior Analysis. From the mislabeling of reinforcement to the confusion between negative reinforcement and punishment, the hosts explore why technical accuracy matters and how misunderstanding core terms can derail effective practice. Using real-world stories, data interpretat...

In this episode of ABA On Call, Rick and Doug dissect the behavioral science behind app design, revealing how tech companies use variable reinforcement schedules to hijack user behavior and drive compulsive engagement. Drawing from core principles of behavior analysis, they explore how seemingly harmless interactions, such as likes, swipes, and notifications, are systematically engineered to reinforce usage patterns. The conversati...

The science of behavior has a lesser-known but powerful framework that draws inspiration from physics - behavior dynamics. In this episode, we discuss core concepts such as force, mass, and acceleration as they relate to behavior change, illustrating how behavior is not static but constantly in motion. While valuable, we highlight how traditional steady-state logic can limit our understanding in applied settings, especially where c...

In this episode of ABA On Call, we kick off our new series, They Got It Wrong, by dissecting the legacy of Sigmund Freud and his controversial theory of psychoanalysis. Despite its historical influence, Freud's work was built on untestable assumptions and speculative reasoning rather than empirical science. We contrast his approach with the rigorous methods of behavior analysis, highlighting the importance of falsifiability, experi...

In this episode, we explore the scientific perspective on free will—or the lack thereof. Is human behavior truly a matter of personal choice, or is it shaped by biological, environmental, and cultural factors? We dive into an article discussing neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky's book Determined, which argues against the existence of free will. His conclusions align with behavior analytic principles that emphasize reinforcement ...

The Season Premier of ABA On Call, explores the complex phenomenon of cheating from a behavioral perspective. The concept of cheating is explored through various real-world examples, including academic dishonesty, professional sports scandals, and personal relationships. Grounded in the principles of reinforcement and rule governance, the episode highlights the contingencies that maintain cheating behaviors while addressing the bro...