Applied Behavior Analysis at West Virginia University: A Brief History

Abstract

The development of an emphasis on applied behavior analysis in the Department of Psychology at West Virginia University is traced. The emphasis began primarily in the early 1970s, under the leadership of Roger Maley and Jon Krapfl, and has continued to expand and evolve with the participation of numerous behavior analysts and behavior therapists, both inside and outside the department. The development has been facilitated by several factors: establishment of a strong behavioral emphasis in the three Clinical graduate programs; change of the graduate program in Experimental Psychology to a program in basic Behavior Analysis; development of nonclinical applied behavior analysis within the Behavior Analysis program; establishment of a joint graduate program with Educational Psychology; establishment of a Community/Systems graduate program; and organization of numerous conferences. Several factors are described that seem to assure a stable role for behavior analysis in the department: a stable and supportive "culture" within the department; American Psychological Association accreditation of the clinical training; a good reputation both within the university and in psychology; and a broader community of behavior analysts and behavior therapists.

Toward the globalization of behavior analysis

“…The field has been enriched by the long-lasting impact of early programs, starting in the 1960s at the University of Kansas (Baer, 1993), the University of Washington (Lovitt, 1993), Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (Rubin & Cuvo, 1993), Western Michigan University (Michael, 1993), West Virginia University (Hawkins, Chase, & Scotti, 1993), and the University of Florida (Pennypacker, 2002 Dymond, 1997;Dymond & Critchfield, 2001;Mathews, 1997;Saville, Epting, & Buskist, 2002. ) University programs also have had an impact on the expansion of applied behavior analysis in a variety of settings, such as institutions for developmental disabilities, schools, hospitals, and businesses.…”

The Virginia Applied Behavior Analysis Consortium: Preparing Behavior Analysts Using a Collaborative Model

“…Therefore, the focus of the BACB ® program may be influenced by the department's goal and mission. For example, the program offered at West Virginia University has been created from a preexisting program (i.e., the Experimental Psychology program) and it has a more balanced approach by focusing on both the basic and the applied science of behavior analysis (Hawkins, Chase, & Scotti, 1993). Other programs are more concerned with the applied aspect of behavior analysis, and their goal is to prepare practitioners who can deliver behavior-analytic services to clients in natural environments.…”