Wednesday, April 29, 2009

"Switchpoints: Culture Change that Delivered a 2:1 Return on Investment"


The premise of this Invited Address presentation at the ABA International Annual Conference, is that behavior analysis, under the umbrella of Organizational Behavioral Management (OBM), and using such as Applied Behavioral Science, has much to offer the business and corporate world.

To cite from Judith A. Johnson's bio from the program, potential areas include,
"...a broad range of industries: pharmaceuticals, financial services, telecommunications, consumer products, manufacturing, petrochemicals, technology, automotive, engineering, transportation, shipping logistics, and retail services. "
With applications being,

[help] organizations realize measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, quality assurance, and traditional performance indicators (revenue growth, safety, customer retention, productivity).
A definition of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), from the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies website,
"The field of OBM consists of the development and evaluation of performance improvement procedures which are based on the principles of behavior discovered through the science of behavior analysis. These procedures are considered to be within the scope of OBM when they focus on improving individual or group performance within an organizational setting, whether that organization be a business, industrial setting, or human service setting, and whether that organization was established for profit or not.

The goal of the field of OBM is to establish a technology of broad-scale performance improvement and organizational change so that employees will be more productive and happy, and so that our organizations and institutions will be more effective and efficient in achieving their goals..."
This specific address at the Conference will talk about Judith A. Johnson's experience in increasing productivity for the Canadian National Railway, the subject of which was published in the book, Switchpoints: Culture Change on the Fast Track to Business Success (2008)


#13 Invited Presenter
5/23/2009
1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.
West 301 AB
OBM; Service Delivery BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Judith A. Johnson, Ph.D.
Switchpoints: Culture Change that Delivered a 2:1 Return on Investment
Chair: Alicia M. Alvero (Queens College, CUNY)
JUDITH A. JOHNSON (CLG)

Abstract:
"Global competition, changing regulations, and instability in the marketplace all create a current business climate where companies must be ready for whatever change may come. While companies in this environment would benefit from ABS [Applied Behavioral Science], they will tend to ignore any methodology that does not add immediate value to their business. As practitioners, we will be under increasing demand to demonstrate results for our work. In her recently released book Switchpoints: Culture Change on the Fast Track to Business Success (2008), Johnson and co-authors describe how Canadian National Railway (CN) applied behavioral techniques to develop leaders, engage employees, and create a culture that delivered over a 2:1 return on their investment. Through real life stories and examples, Johnson will share how individual leaders, working with their teams in new ways, delivered profound results in a range of metrics including service, reliability, and cost reduction. Johnson will also go beyond the book to share insights into critical success factors, lessons learned, and what those lessons tell us about how behavior analysts can help companies maximize performance in the current business environment."
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For further reading about the content of the presentation,
Applied Behavioral Science and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM)


22 days and counting...

DISCLAIMER: Personal opinion and blog, not an official outlet intended to represent ABA-International® or other official entity or organization.

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Monday, April 27, 2009

"Applications of Behavior Analysis in Urban Education"

As part of the B. F. Skinner Lecture Series at the ABA International 2009 Annual Conference, Dr. Betina Jean-Louis will be speaking on the programs of the Harlem Children's Zone, Inc., the brainchild of Geoffrey Canada.

By reports in the media, some of the premises of some of the Harlem Children's Zone programs, such as Baby College were inspired by the work of behavior analysts--Drs. Betty Hart, Ph.D. (now emeritus, University of Kansas) and the late Todd Risley Ph.D. (University of Alaska, then of the University of Kansas), whose research showed that the biggest determinant of school and social achievement was tied to the amount of language exposure and the kind of feedback given to young children, ages 0-3, by their parents. Their work was later written up and published in the widely read book, Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children.

During the Presidential campaign, then Senator, now President Barack Obama had this to say about the Harlem Children's Zone,




#282 B. F. Skinner Lecture Series
5/24/2009
3:30 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.
West 301 AB
TBA
Applications of Behavior Analysis in Urban Education
Chair: Denise E. Ross (Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Applications of Behavior Analysis in Urban Education (Applied Behavior Analysis)
BETINA JEAN-LOUIS (Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc.)

Abstract:
"The Harlem Children’s Zone is an innovative and unique community service program that has served the educational and social needs of children and families in New York City’s Harlem since 1970. As Director of Evaluation, Dr. Betina Jean-Louis has spearheaded the Harlem Children’s Zone’s evaluation efforts since March 2002. In this capacity, she assesses the implementation and impact of a variety of programs, including: 1) The Harlem Children’s Zone Project, Geoffrey Canada’s innovative approach to improving the lives of thousands of children living in Harlem, 2) Beacon Schools, 3) Preventive (family preservation) programs, and 4) Charter Schools. In this lecture, Dr. Jean-Louis will describe the programs of Harlem Children’s Zone and the behavioral philosophy that guided the organization’s development. Specifically, Dr. Jean-Louis will discuss the role that principles of behavior have had in the development of the organization’s programs along with applications of its principles to educational and social issues in urban communities."

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For further reading,
The Harlem Children's Zone Project

Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children.
Betty Hart and Todd Risley, 1995

Article on Baby College
Taking the measure of the Zone, One Life at a Time
Volume 1, Number 1, Summer 2002

The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3
American Educator. Spring 2003

The Everyday Experience of American Babies: Discoveries and Implications.
Todd R. Risley

This American Life, Public Radio International
Episode 364: Going Big
9/26/2008
"Host Ira Glass introduces a story on the most ambitious and hopeful solution to urban poverty in the country—the Harlem Children’s Zone. The project’s goal is nothing less than changing the lives of thousands of children in Harlem, starting at birth and continuing until they go to college.
Act One. Harlem Renaissance.
Paul Tough reports on the Harlem Children’s Zone..."
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24 days and counting...

DISCLAIMER: Personal opinion and blog, not an official outlet intended to represent ABA-International® or other official entity or organization.

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

"Dissemination - Spreading the Word without Sounding the Alarm!"

This is a presentation under the "Professional Development Series" at the ABA International 2009 Annual Conference that looks like it could be interesting because topics of applied behavior analysis are currently underrepresented in the public sphere except as relates to autism.

There seems to be a point made in the abstract that behavior analysts may not be effectively using their own skill set to convey the benefits of applied behavior analysis to laypersons who do not (yet) share their knowledge, and that allows that audience to develop appreciation for the value and applicability in their everyday life. Another issue may be the hazard in speaking to that public in professional terminology, which may not only be incomprehensible to a public audience, but off-putting as well, e.g., negative reinforcement, extinction, punishment, etc.. A third consideration is that the general public or those naive to behavior analysis are likely coming from a starting place of a life's experience immersed in mentalistic thinking and misconceptions about behavior and behaviorism--that may well represent where one has to start in persuading and shaping a behavior-analytic point of view as much as challenging those ideas inconsistent with that.

In sum, the topic of discussion appears to be ways of letting the public know that the technology is not intimidating, and how the information is shared with an audience makes a difference in sharing application to everyday life.

#176 Panel Discussion
5/24/2009
9:00 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.
North 129 B
TBA/EDC; Theory
Professional Development Series:
Dissemination - Spreading the Word without Sounding the Alarm!
Chair: W. Joseph Wyatt (Marshall University)

SUSAN G. FRIEDMAN (Utah State University)
BOBBY NEWMAN (Room to Grow)
PAUL CHANCE (Dissemination Special Interest Group)
W. JOSEPH WYATT (Marshall University)
Abstract:

"While students are often provided training on how to conduct research or provide treatment to diverse populations and, in some programs, how to teach others, there is little to no education on how to disseminate behavior analysis to the public at large. Although the needs to conduct research and provide behavior analytic services are being fulfilled, the need to educate our society of these very things appears to be neglected. One cultural barrier to the acceptance of our science is the discomfort exhibited when behavior scientists utilize technical terminology and ideas that clash with the prevailing non-scientific explanations of behavior. This panel brings together a collection of experts who have consistently engaged in dissemination efforts towards those outside of the field. These discussants will provide ways in which students and recent graduates can engage in spreading behavior analysis while overcoming these barriers."

Books, Articles and Websites of the Presenters


Other of Interest

Some other approachable texts authored by behavior analysts who are not on the panel are,
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25 days and counting...

DISCLAIMER: Personal opinion and blog, not an official outlet intended to represent ABA-International® or other official entity or organization.

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While Waiting for the Conference...

The ABA International® annual conference is a month away, but anyone who has attended knows that it might take a month to figure out what presentations to catch because of the sheer number of talks, posters and symposia.

While waiting and going through the program book, my hope is to blog daily on a presentation from the conference program that highlights aspects of broad social value, signifcant research, or, to be self-interested, something that I happen to be personally interested in. My personal interest is interventions and instruction, esp. for children on the autism spectrum, but one goal of the blog is to give some sense of the breadth that the science of applied behavior analysis and application of that science has in the potential of helping individuals, systems and society.

26 days and counting...

DISCLAIMER: Personal opinion and blog, not an official outlet intended to represent ABA-International® or other official entity or organization.
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How Does ABA Work?

Dr. Jose A. Martinez-Diaz, Ph.D., Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) explains how ABA is applied and how it works,



DISCLAIMER: Personal opinion and blog, not an official outlet intended to represent ABA-International® or other official entity or organization.
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What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

Dr. Jose A. Martinez-Diaz, Ph.D., Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
gives an intro on what applied behavior analysis is, and applications to areas of interest in our everyday life.



ABA International® gives another introduction,

"What is Behavior Analysis?
Behavior analysis is the scientific study of behavior.
Behavior analysts ask Why does behavior change over time? They seek answers by looking at the biological and environmental factors, although they are primarily interested in the role of environment in behavior change. Many behavior analysts do either basic or applied research. Others specialize in applying behavior change principles to enhancing quality of life..."
Continued at ABA International®

DISCLAIMER: Personal opinion and blog, not an official outlet intended to represent ABA-International® or other official entity or organization.
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Saturday, April 25, 2009

The ABA International® Annual Conference



From the Association for Behavior Analysis International® Events webpage,

Annual Convention,
"ABA International®'s annual convention is held over Memorial Day weekend (the fourth weekend in May) and is attended by more than 4,000 people from over 40 countries. The convention provides a forum for nearly 40 simultaneous events during the day sessions. Presentations surpass 1,500 and contributors number over 3,000. Convention attendees are professors, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, parents, and consultants in the field. An exhibit hall features organizations and employers in behavior analysis and a bookstore containing over 1,000 titles is also available. Continuing education for psychologists and certified behavior analysts is also available"
From the Annual Convention webpage,
"...This is ABAI's richest program to date: it includes 1,633 submissions, among which are 765 posters, 295 panels & symposia, 236 papers, 26 invited addresses, 12 invited tutorials, 64 business meetings, 19 reunions, 14 special events, 109 Expo posters and 93 pre-convention workshops..."
DISCLAIMER: Personal opinion and blog, not an official outlet intended to represent ABA-International® or other official entity or organization.
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About the Association for Behavior Analysis International®

From the Association for Behavior Analysis International® website,
"Since 1974, the Association for Behavior Analysis International®(ABA International®) has been the primary professional organization for members interested in the philosophy, science, application, and teaching of behavior analysis..."
Dr. Dick Malott reminisces about the events and personalities leading first to MABA, The Midwestern Association of Behavior Analysis, and the evolution to the current ABA International®.

DISCLAIMER: Personal opinion and blog, not an official outlet intended to represent ABA-International® or other official entity or organization.


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