Applied Behavior Analysis Research Made Easy by Amber L. Valentino

Author:Amber L. Valentino
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Published: 2021-11-18T20:17:53+00:00

Obstacles

It is common for practitioners to experience obstacles in their quest to conduct research. Obstacles are often related to one’s own feelings and ideas about the task at hand. Luckily, obstacles can be easily overcome by engaging in specific actions. In this next section, I describe some of the most common obstacles practitioners face and actions you can take to overcome them.

Obstacle 1: Lack of Knowledge

Many of the respondents to our survey said that lack of knowledge was an obstacle they needed to overcome before attempting applied research. Some behavior analysts may feel they lack knowledge of experimental design and of research processes, which can inhibit their pursuits. It is true that some graduate programs may not emphasize this area sufficiently. You can relearn (or learn for the first time) with self-study and support.

I recommend going back to your primary textbooks and reading specific chapters related to single-subject design. Review your BCBA exam prep materials, but do so through the lens of conducting research. Ask yourself—if I had to do this tomorrow, what would I do? How would I use the information? Read and study the material like an applied researcher. My guess is that you read it differently before—as a student who needed certain information for a certain event or class. This time read it so you can use it. This different perspective should greatly facilitate your knowledge on the topic. By the very nature of having your BCBA, you have a foundation—you just need to brush up and apply the knowledge to a new and applied situation. This is not uncommon.

When I left graduate school and went into the work force, I had to brush up on several areas of study. For example, during graduate school, I studied the ethics code for mostly memorization purposes—I passed tests containing that information and knew some of the codes. But when I needed to apply the ethics code to a real-life situation that happened during practice, I froze and felt completely unknowledgeable. Brushing up on that material and thinking about it in the face of these real issues was immensely helpful in facilitating my knowledge and confidence.

Other behavior analysts may feel they have a lack of knowledge of the subject they want to study—for example, verbal behavior or organizational behavior management. When individuals talk about this as a deficit, it’s often the conceptual part they’re acknowledging a weakness in. This is also not uncommon, though I’d venture to say it’s not as much of an obstacle as you might think. While you will need to have knowledge of the concepts behind your area of study, these are things you can look up, speak with your mentor about, attend conference talks related to, read other articles as models of, and generally reference whenever you want. If you set up your study with a strong conceptual foundation, you can incorporate those ideas into your discussion section when you write the paper, with any references you need by your side to do it correctly.

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