Review of assessment and training strategies for preservice behavior analysts.

Abstract

The need for behavior analytic services is rapidly growing, resulting in a demand for a greater number of practitioners to provide services to consumers. To ensure training is sufficient to produce competent practitioners, strategies should be evaluated through research to determine both the effectiveness and efficiency of the strategy. This manuscript includes an overview of the history of the field of behavior analysis, highlighting the growth of the field and how an evaluation of the way current standards are met and maintained would be beneficial, a review of the relevant literature, an experimental study evaluating a strategy to teach preservice behavior analysts to graph, and a discussion focused on how an analysis of the education and training of these students is warranted in order to fit within the conceptual systems of the discipline. The review of the literature was conducted to identify existing studies that examined training strategies for preservice behavior analysts. Specifically, research conducted within the context of a graduate level behavior analysis classroom, teaching skills that aligned with the Behavior Analysis Certification Board® 4th Edition Task List were included. The results of this study are reported and discussed. Finally, general implications and next steps are suggested in the final chapter. An analysis of the training and education of preservice behavior analysts, adhering to the seven dimensions of applied behavior analysis is recommended to promote continued excellence within the field of behavior analysis as it grows and expands.