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  • Toward the Scientist Practitioner Model in Applied Behavior Analysis:Examples of a Science-Based Practice
  • Michael F. Dorsey (bio) and Jill M. Harper

The goal of this special issue is to present a collection of papers addressing the adoption of a scientist-practitioner model within behavior analytic training programs and in solving the education and treatment issues of children with developmental disabilities. The scientist-practitioner, or Boulder, model emphasizes the integration of theory, research, and practice within clinical training programs. The model, founded as a guide for graduate programs in clinical psychology, is also consistent with the defining principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) set forth by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968). As such, training programs within ABA often include competencies in both research methodology and applied practice. However, in recent years, debates around the necessity of such an integrated training model have surfaced (see issue 25 of The Behavior Analyst for more information). At the heart of the debate is the degree to which formal training in research methodology should be included in the clinical training of practitioners.

The goal of the scientist-practitioner model, as a training model, is to produce practitioners who embrace the scientific model within clinical practice. Thus, the model implies a bidirectional relation between research and practice in several ways: 1) Proficiency with current research findings. That is, the scientist-practitioner as a consumer of the literature. 2) Employment of the scientific method in the design and evaluation of clinical protocols. Thus, clinicians inform data-based decisions through research methodology. 3) Active participation within the research community through the design, implementation, and dissemination of applied research (Milne & Paxton, 1998). The overarching implication is that training, under the umbrella of the scientist-practitioner model, will produce improved clinical outcomes. [End Page 273]

The present special issue, "The Application of the Scientist-Practitioner Model in Educating Applied Behavior Analysts to Meet the Needs of Children," addresses several areas of the scientist-practitioner model. The first two papers of this issue attempt to answer questions about the current state of the scientist-practitioner model within the field of ABA by examining trends in clinical practice and training programs. Shawler, Blair, Harper, and Dorsey address the integration of research by the practitioner. The authors summarize data from a survey of current Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) regarding practitioner experience with research methodology during training, use of research methodology within clinical practice, and contribution to the greater research literature. Blair, Shawler, Debacher, Harper, and Dorsey focus on evaluation of graduate training programs in ABA. Data on the research productivity of faculty across behavior analytic training programs is presented as a potential measure of adherence to the scientist-practitioner model. Data from such analyses provide descriptions of the current trends, which may lead to further exploration of functional relations between training programs and clinical practice.

The next set of papers represent four exemplars of empirical case studies that demonstrate implementation of the scientist-practitioner model. Each of these four papers highlights the integration of research and practice. Russo, Smith, Croner, Chirinos, and Weiss describe an evaluation of the use of biofeedback in the treatment of challenging behavior maintained by negative reinforcement in the form of escape from aversive noise. This paper provides an example of a clinical intervention that was informed by the literature and implemented with scientific rigor. Similarly, Nipe, Dowdy, Quigley, Gill, and Weiss demonstrate a socially significant clinical outcome through the systematic extension of previous research on toleration of prosthetic devices. The paper by Gifford, Redpath, and Lionello-DeNolf highlights the use of the scientific method to produce significant clinical outcomes within an applied setting. Finally, Blair, Weiss, and Ahearn provide a demonstration of applied research with an extension of the literature on prompting procedures in their paper comparing physical and vocal prompting hierarchies.

The final two papers of this special issue offer opposing views on the necessity of the scientist-practitioner model as it applies to training programs in ABA. In the first paper, Malott presents an argument for an alternative training model, described as a science-based model. Malott's proposed science-based training model maintains the integration of science but reduces the emphasis on...

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