Valerie LaCerra, MA, BCBA, LBS, Advanced Trainer and Advisor for Behavior Interventions, answered a few questions about the research article she co-authored.

Behavior Interventions, Inc. is proud to announce that Valerie LaCerra, BCBA and Advanced Trainer and Advisor for our company, has co-authored the research article “An evaluation of the reinforcing effectiveness of attention topographies on skill acquisition” featured in the journal Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice.

The study replicated and extended previous research by evaluating the reinforcing efficacy of three topographies (praise, physical attention, and conversation) of attention on skill acquisition for typically developing preschool children.

1. How did this specific study come to be? What led you to do it?
The study of attention is a passion of Julie Aukerland-Brandt, one of my previous professors and mentors, and what intrigued me about the study was that it would be conducted with a different population that I am used to working with.

2. How do the results apply to the work that Behavior Analysts do at Behavior Interventions?
This study shows why assessing and comparing the reinforcing effectiveness of different topographies of attention is so important. We got different results across our participants, suggesting that they not only had different preferences (though we didn’t evaluate preference specifically), but that different types of attention had a direct relationship to skill acquisition. I think most people learn what kids like naturally because behavior is reinforced and shaped both ways (e.g., clients’ learning shapes our teaching behavior), but as behavior analysts it’s valuable to directly assess these contingencies so we can apply them intentionally.

3. If you could select a new research topic, what would it be? How would it impact the work of Behavior Analysts?
Recently I’ve been taking piano lessons. I’m a musician, but was never formally trained, especially not on piano. So It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do. During a few of my lessons I’ve noticed where an ABA strategy would just really take it to the next level: like proper prompt-fading, or just one or two good trials of error-correction. So I was thinking it would be cool to do a study where we taught music teachers to use a few strategies, or even just one, and evaluate the effects compared to typical teaching methods. So, if anyone is looking for a fun master’s project.

For more information on the article click here.