OVERVIEW

2024 Theory & Philosophy Conference is organized by Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and will be held from Oct 28 - 29, 2024 at The Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.

Description:
This single-track program spans two days and is organized into thematic clusters under the broad umbrella of complex behavioral phenomena, with an emphasis on how complexity can – and often does – arise from basic behavioral processes.

Each cluster includes three or four 50-minute presentations by cutting-edge scholars representing a range of established and alternative perspectives; the wrap-up speaker for each cluster will serve as synthesizer and discussant for the earlier talks.

Our format, cluster themes, and speaker line-up were selected to maximize opportunities for productive interactions, both within and across the different clusters, and with the audience. A panel discussion on the role and status of theory and philosophy in behavior-analytic training programs will allow for additional audience input. Day 1 will also include a poster session, one of the highlights of the first Theory and Philosophy conference, and another opportunity for creative exchange of ideas among all attendees.

Program Areas:
Applied Animal Behavior (AAB) includes the dimensions of applied behavior analysis as they pertain to matters of importance for non-human animals. Topic areas may include (but are not limited to) issues related to enrichment, welfare and management, conservation, training, and treatment of problem behavior. Theoretical discussions related to these topics are also included.

Autism (AUT) includes work specifically related to the assessment and treatment of learning and behavioral characteristics of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and related symptomatology.

Behavioral Pharmacology and Neuroscience (BPN) includes research on the behavioral effects of drugs and other neurobiological manipulations, as well as research on the neurobiological substrates of behavior.

Clinical/Family/Behavioral Medicine (CBM) includes the integration of behavior analytic strategies, methods, and theory into areas traditionally encompassed by clinical psychology, family therapy, and behavioral medicine. Content relevant to the area includes the application of behavioral principles and behavior analytic basic research relevant to these domains.

Community, Social, and Sustainability Issues (CSS) includes conceptual analyses, empirical research, and service-delivery projects related to larger-scale community, sociocultural, and sustainability issues, including work supporting social and environmental justice.

Developmental Disabilities (DDA) includes research and activities in the care of persons with neurodevelopmental, intellectual, and related disabilities other than those presentations fitting within the autism program area. These reported activities include basic research, applied research, service delivery, and theory and conceptual topics.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB) includes experimental analyses of human and animal behavior in laboratory and field settings. EAB research involves experimentally manipulated independent variables and addresses questions related to the fundamental nature of behavior-environment relations.

Education (EDC) includes presentations addressing variables that impact students’ learning of academic content, management of student behavior within a variety of educational settings, and the practices of educators. It also includes the teaching of behavior analysis in higher education settings.

Lifespan Behavioral Development (LBD) includes research and theory designed to identify environmental variables that establish and interact with behavioral development throughout the lifespan, including infant, child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric phases of life. Submissions should show how these variables relate to behavioral principles and how they can promote desirable developmental outcomes.

Organizational and Behavioral Systems Analysis (OBM) includes theory, research, and practice related to organizational management and behavior systems analysis. This area includes large-scale systemic analyses and change.

Philosophical, Conceptual, and Historical Issues (PCH) includes topics on the foundations—past, present, and future—of behavior analysis as a system, science, and practice, as well as comparisons and contrasts with the natural and historical sciences and humanities.

Verbal Behavior and Cognition (VBC) includes conceptual, experimental, and applied presentations pertaining to verbal behavior and cognition. Topics may include verbal operants, relational responding, problem solving, thinking, remembering, and related phenomena.