Using Relational Frame Theory to Examine Racial Prejudice: A Tool for Educators and an Appeal for Future Research

Abstract

Canadian colleges and universities have begun to acknowledge systemic and institutionalized racism by developing equity statements and policies in support of diverse and accessible learning environments. To encourage these equitable statements and policies as actionable, analysis of racial bias and methods for reducing its occurrence are warranted. In this article, literature on relational frame theory in the context of racial prejudice is reviewed, including treatment approaches shown to be less effective and those that appear promising. The integration of a functional contextual approach into pedagogy is considered with an aim to better understand the origins of racial prejudice. Finally, recommendations on the examination of personal and sociocultural bias among educators and their students are provided.

Improving the Methodological, Analytical, and Cultural Impact of Behavior Analysis Via Utilization of Group Design Methods and Statistical Analyses

“…Within-subject designs using similar methods to evaluate participants' outcomes over time can have meaningful impact in the contemporary field of behavior analysis. There has been increasing attention in using behavior analytic principles to address social issues such as systematic racism (Shea et al, 2022), as well as critical reflections on the research and clinical practice of behavior analysis among the Black community (Čolić et al, 2022;Lovelace et al, 2022). Čolić et al (2022) synthesized black caregivers' experience when it comes to autism care and provided specific accounts on racism manifested across its multiple stages.…”