Mickey Keenan

University of Ulster · School of Psychology

For a number of years I have been trying to encourage behaviour analysts to stem the tide of misinformation about behaviour analysis through the use of multimedia. A recent webinar explains the issues: https://www.abainternational.org/constituents/practitioners/webinars/february-2020-webinar.aspx This current presentation addresses some issues in t...

Every published manuscript of a study in the experimental analysis of behaviour requires attention to detail in the description of the experimental contingencies that were arranged, and rightly so. The resulting Method section of the manuscript then adds to a rule-based printed library associated with dissemination practices. This webinar argues th...

In this paper, we offer suggestions for how to use behavioural and digital technologies to address the relatively slow uptake of behaviour analysis in Europe. We start with an overview of baseline conditions in which misinformation is rife. We argue that a more systematic use of behavioural technology is needed in advocacy for better autism service...

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to families and society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is, therefore, not surprising that there is much heated debate and most governments have developed public policies to address the management of aut...

Prevalence estimations for Autism Spectrum Disorder have been increasing over the past few years with rates now reported to be at 1:68. Interventions that are based on Applied Behaviour Analysis are significantly related to best outcomes and are widely considered ‘treatment as usual’ in North America. In Europe, this is not the case, instead a rath...

The Good Inclusion Game (GIG) is a class-wide education intervention employing interdependent group contingencies to increase inclusive behaviors between pupils with and without special educational needs (SEN). While previous research provided evidence of effectiveness when the class of children was split into two groups, it did not assess the effe...

This article addresses the relationship between applied behavior analysis (ABA) and the emergence of positive behavior support (PBS) in context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the UK and Ireland. Two overarching issues that are salient in this discussion are professional training and certification. To date, there has been a lack of standardize...

Individuals on the autism spectrum experience a wide range of support needs and it comes as no surprise that opinions differ as to the best way to provide necessary supports. Some articulate self-advocates argue that societal acceptance of neurodiversity is the key issue. These views have clashed with those of parents and professionals who advocate...

Questions about human behavior and diversity have captured the attention of scientists from a wide range of philosophical stances for centuries. While behavior analysts would argue that natural science is an enlightening perspective when applied to the understanding of the human condition, at times arguments within certain campaigns would prefer Ap...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s40617-022-00754-0.].

Behavior analysts are not recognized or regulated as a distinct profession in Europe. For the most part, European behavior analysts adhered to the standards set by the U.S.-based Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). However, the BACB certification has not been recognized officially in any European jurisdiction. The recent decision by the BA...

A new way to present the behavioural stream

A defining feature of ASD is atypical gaze behaviour, however, eye-tracking studies in ‘real-world’ settings are limited, and the possibility of improving gaze behaviour for ASD children is largely unexplored. This study investigated gaze behaviour of ASD and typically developing (TD) children in their classroom setting. Eye-tracking technology was...

This is a letter to Prof. B. F. Skinner, asking for advice.

This article explores the extent to which the newly published BPS guidelines ignores support for the findings of Applied Behaviour Analysis

Revista Mexicana de Análisis de la Conducta • Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis Three experiments using undergraduate participants examined the emergence of responding in an equivalence class despite the absence of any functions being explicitly trained to any stimulus within the class. In Experiment 1, a one-to-many conditional discrimination...

The present study examined different conditions under which exclusion responding in conditional discrimination tasks would generate emergent equivalence relations in young children based on shared relationships with verbal labels. Both visual stimuli (Sets A, B, C, and D) and auditory stimuli (spoken words, Set N: N1 “correct”; N2: “incorrect”) wer...

Task analyses and chaining procedures are effective methods that behaviour analysts use for teaching skills to individuals on the autism spectrum. Breaking a skill into its individual components can help alleviate performance anxiety, teach skill acquisition and ensure long-term maintenance. We examined whether, after a training session, parents (n...

The studies reported here examine how participants distribute resources to arbitrary stimuli in an equivalence class after one stimulus is given a social label. In Experiment 1, two 3-member equivalence classes were established with nonsense syllables (Class 1: A1 (ZID), B1 (YIM), C1 (FAP) and Class 2: A2 (VEK), B2 (RIX), C2 (KUD)) using matching-t...

Training of behaviour analysts for autism services, has improved notably within a European higher education context. However, regional discrepancies associated with economic, health care, social services, and institutional policies magnify the importance of creating appropriate unified training and consumer protection. Although the European Associa...

Children diagnosed with autism have the right to access evidence-based practices that are necessary for their education and welfare. Oftentimes, parents of these children are not satisfied with the education provided by the State and they challenge education or health authorities in tribunals. Usually, these tribunal hearings revolve around the inc...

In this paper, we outline opportunities within the video game environment for building skills applicable to real-world issues faced by some children. The game Minecraft is extremely popular and of particular interest to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Although the game has been used by support communities to facilitate the social...

I am making this freely available in the hope that others will add to it and share with students and me. Consider it a first step in promoting the notion of developing a shared resource in teaching behaviour analysis. It is not for resale as a commercial product. All the graphics are created by me. I have one page with some buttons that contain Hyp...

Limitations of research with questionnaires alone

Students on psychology courses seldom get sufficient opportunities to learn the scientific method without the use of inferential statistics. The result is that when they come across single-case research designs they consider them to be flawed, or quasi experimental, because there aren't enough participants. This presentation points them in a differ...

Diarrheal disease associated with poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) kills more than one million people every year. Safe WASH practices have the potential to greatly reduce these statistics but behaviour change interventions in the field have yielded little success to date. Currently, there is an emphasis on addressing cognitive processes to...

In this paper, we outline opportunities within the video game environment for building skills applicable to real-world issues faced by some children. The game Minecraft is extremely popular and of particular interest to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Although the game has been used by support communities to facilitate the social...

UNSTRUCTURED In this paper, we outline opportunities within the video game environment for building skills applicable to real-world issues faced by some children. The game Minecraft is extremely popular and of particular interest to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Although the game has been used by support communities to facilitat...

[full article, abstract in English; only abstract in Lithuanian] Worldwide, the prevalence rates of autism are increasing. This review looks at the additional stressors that parenting a child with autism can bring, including psychological distress and mental health difficulties. With the difficulties associated with the autism diagnosis and additi...

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is therefore not surprising that most governments have developed public policy documents to address the management of autism. Over the past 40-50 years, meaning...

Elgesio analizė yra svarbi, kalbant apie autizmo spektro sutrikimo intervencijas. Elgesio analize pagrįstos intervencijos turi didelį empirinį pagrindimą, tačiau apie daugelį kitų intervencijų rūšių to pasakyti negalima. Tai lėmė didelius politinių sprendimų ir rekomendacijų skirtumus skirtingose pasaulio dalyse, ypač tarp Europos ir Šiaurės Amerik...

Having well-trained staff is key to ensuring good quality autism services, especially since people affected with autism generally tend to have higher support needs than other populations in terms of daily living, as well as their mental and physical health. Poorly-trained staff can have detrimental effects on service provision and staff morale and...

This study examined the effects of the Good Behaviour Game on teacher and student behaviour in a general education classroom. Using a multiple baseline design across classes, baseline rates of disruptive behaviours were collected in each class and the class was divided into two teams. Each team then competed to obtain reinforcers for good behaviour...

Throughout the history of science, the scientific image has played a significant role in communication. With recent developments in computing technology, there has been an increase in the kinds of opportunities now available for scientists to communicate in more sophisticated ways. Within behavior analysis, though, we are only just beginning to app...

Currently in the USA, 43 States have enacted legislation to ensure that parents of children with autism can access services from professionals trained in Applied Behaviour Analysis under their health insurance. Across Europe, there are very few opportunities for students to be trained in Applied Behaviour Analysis to international standards. In thi...

Early detection of breast cancer is an important factor in both treatment and overall survival rates of the disease. Breast self- examination has proven to be controversial regarding its e ectiveness and also the potential for raising female anxiety levels due to misinterpretation in both nding false positives and in failing to nd true positives. U...

This file provides links to videos I posted on YouTube

This study extended previous research on equivalence classes that contain more than one function. Initially, separate equivalence classes were established (A1, B1, C1 and A3, B3, C3) using a one-to-many matching-to-sample procedure where A1 and A3 were the sample stimuli. These classes then were transformed into functional equivalence classes by tr...

This is not a research paper but a description of the situation in the UK and Ireland regarding the marginalisation of ABA

The current study reports the results of an experiment that examined training of multiple functions to each of two stimuli in two 3-member equivalence classes (A1, B1, C1 and A2, B2, C2). Behaviours trained involved a “number” and “colour” component when drawing dots; at A1 draw 10 black dots, at C1 draw 1 black dot, at A2 draw 10 red dots and at C...

Increasingly, adults with autism speak about their experiences and are offered a ‘seat at the table’, where high-level policy and practice decisions are made regarding autism or are invited to present at prestigious conferences. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) has become a key principle in health, social care, and educational decision-making....

Prevalence estimations for Autism Spectrum Disorder have been increasing over the past few years with rates now reported to be at 1:68. Interventions that are based on Applied Behaviour Analysis are significantly related to best outcomes and are widely considered ‘treatment as usual’ in North America. In Europe, this is not the case, instead a rath...

Objective: Most of what we know about children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is based on post-diagnostic, retrospective, self-select studies. Oftentimes, there is no direct comparison between trajectories of children with ASD and children without ASD. Methods: To circumvent both of these problems, the present secondary data analysis utilis...

Multidisciplinary practice has become an accepted approach in many education and social and health care fields. In fact, the right to a multidisciplinary assessment is enshrined in the United Nations Convention of the Rights for Persons with Disabilities. In order to avert a ‘one size fits all’ response to particularly heterogeneous diagnoses, such...

Protecting the environment means engaging in activities that have specific consequences for the environment. Understanding how to protect the environment means understanding how to ensure that’ these specific activities occur. Behaviour analysis can play a pivotal role in protecting the environment because it has amassed a wealth of facts about how...

Sixty-seven widows whose husbands had been killed in the context of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland were assessed in relation to the cause of death, the quality of their marital relationship and the level of worry prior to the loss. Results reported here show that the violent cause of death led to a greater level of long-term psychological d...

Having a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) poses a range of challenges to families, many of which can be addressed through appropriate intervention. A study of parental (n = 95) and professional (n = 67) experiences was carried out in relation to two settings: (a) schools that provided intensive interventions based on the science...

Individualised behavioural interventions are known to promote development, enhance skills and communication and reduce rigid and stereotypical patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder especially if they start in early pre-school age and are offered in high intensity. In many countries, however, these interventions are not available to fam...

People diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) deserve the same respect as any other person and should be free to benefit from scientific research that can help them achieve skills which enable them to reach their full potential. Over the past 40 years Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) has utilised inductive, natural science methods to investi...

To examine the transfer of function phenomenon two 3-member equivalence classes were established using the typicalselection response of key pressing (A 1, 81, C1, & A2, 82, C2).One 3-member class was then made functionally equivalent bytraining a topographically distinct response (clapping) to A 1 andobtaining clapping at 81 and C1. Five experiment...

Professionals on both international and national levels who work with children with autism are expressing the need for graduate-level training in applied behaviour analysis. The implementation of effective instruction in higher education for professionals working with children with autism and their families is a complex undertaking: the learner nee...

Educating the public accurately about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an important undertaking, not least because misconceptions and myths about ABA abound. In this paper we argue that, unfortunately, the efforts of many dedicated professionals and parents to disseminate accurate information about the benefits of ABA for children diagnosed with...

The number of children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is rising and is now thought to be as high as 1:100. While the debate about best treatment continues, the effects of having a child diagnosed with ASD on family life remain relatively unexplored. This article, by Karola Dillenburger of Queens University Belfast, Mickey Keenan...

Background For families of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) getting a diagnosis is a traumatic experience on which future care and education plans for the child depend. In this paper parental experiences of diagnosis and forward planning for children with ASD are reported. Method This paper is part of a large cross-sectional s...

Four experiments examined the effects of training a “drawing” response to each of three stimuli in a 5-member equivalence class. In Experiment 1 the stimuli were an arbitrary word, a shape, or a mathematical symbol. Subjects then were trained to draw a separate component of a stickman at each of the 3 stimuli. Subsequent tests for function transfer...

Elderly individuals living in four long-term care settings were trained in two three-member equivalence classes. Their ability to demonstrate equivalence responding was then tested. The same individuals were also tested on the Mini Mental Status Examination (a screening instrument commonly used with the elderly to test for cognitive impairment. The...

There is convincing evidence that applied behaviour analysis (ABA) offers a highly effective form of intervention for children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). There is less evidence, however, about how parents perceive and evaluate ABA programmes. In this paper an examination of parents' perceptions of outcome is reported. Twenty‐two questio...

Interventions that are based on scientific principles of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) are recognised as effective treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by many governments and professionals (Office of the Surgeon General, 2000; Ontario IBI Initiative, 2002). However, many still view ABA as one of many treatments for autism...

Background: Peer relations serve many important functions in children’s development. In autism, however, reciprocity of social exchange is missing and this has a devastating effect on the skill of relating. Recently video modeling has been regarded as an effective procedure that may offer some help. Objectives: The overall aim of this presentatio...

This study comprised of two experiments was designed to teach complex social sequences to children with autism. Experimental control was achieved by collecting data using means of within-system design methodology. Across a number of conditions children were taken to a room to view one of the four short videos of two people engaging in a simple sequ...

Child sex abuse increasingly is recognised as a societal problem that can no longer be ignored. In this paper definitions, prevalence, trends, assessment, and available diagnostic procedures are described and critically evaluated. It is argued that the lack of reliable diagnostic procedures remains one of the main difficulties in dealing effectivel...

Theories of bereavement abound. The endeavour to understand this complex process has moved from intra-psychic explanations and stage theories to cognitive rationalizations and, most recently, process orientated explorations of bereavement. What has been missing in most of the literature to date is a detailed analysis of the context within which ber...

Previous research using children with autism has shown that video modelling can be effective in enhancing a variety of skills. The present study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of video modelling intervention to promote social initiation and reciprocal play as well as to increase the likelihood of generalisation of the treatment gains acr...

We examined the effects of a video modeling intervention on social initiation and play behaviors with 3 children with autism using a multiple baseline across subjects design. Each child watched a videotape showing a typically developing peer, and the experimenter engaged in a simple social interactive play using one toy. For all children, social in...

Hypnotic induction was used to facilitate direct observation of multiple tics in a typically developing teenager in a home setting. A comprehensive habit-reversal program was implemented, including awareness training, competing response training, relaxation training, self-monitoring, social support, and contingency management. Duration of relaxatio...

A large number of studies have shown that children and youths with autism can improve their social skills when provided with appropriate and well planned treatment strategies. Here, a video modeling procedure was implemented with seven developmentally delayed children, using a multiple-treatment design. Each child watched a videotape showing a mode...

Autistic Spectrum Disorder is a pervasive developmental disorder that starts in early childhood and affects about one in every 100 children in the UK. Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) has shown to be the most effective long-term treatment for these children. In this paper a parental programme evaluation of home-based ABA programmes is reported. Res...

In Experiments 1 and 2 a match-to-sample procedure was used to establish the prerequisite conditional discriminations for two 3-member equivalence classes (A1, B1, C1 & A2, B2, C2) where stimuli A1 and A2 were written instructions. In Experiment 1 tests for transitivity confirmed the emergence of derived relations. Following this, an off-the-baseli...

Spontaneous regulation of human behavior on a simple time-based mixed schedule of reinforcement was studied as a function of instructions and response-reinforcer contiguity. Seventeen subjects were exposed to a mixed fixed-interval (FI) 10 s schedule (condition A) and a conjunctive fixed-time 10 s fixed ratio 1 (condition B) schedule of reinforceme...

Foreword, Professor Newman, Association in Manhattan for Autistic Children. 1. Applied Behaviour Analysis: A Parents' Perspective, Barbara Hanna, Mary O'Cahan, Hillary Johnston and Laura McKay. 2. Applied Behaviour Analysis and Autism: The Therapy of Choice, Ken P. Kerr. 3. Functional Analysis, Ian Taylor. 4. The Story of Colin, Laura McKay, Mickey...

Sixty-seven widows whose husbands had been killed in the context of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland were assessed in relation to the cause of death, the quality of their marital relationship and the level of worry prior to the loss. Results reported here show that the violent cause of death led to a greater level of long-term psychological d...

We examined the effect of a teaching method on skill fluency and on-task endurance of a 9-year-old boy who had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. An academic task that occurred at low fluency during 10-min baseline sessions was taught to fluency. When responding was not yet fluent, brief reversals to baseline showed that...

Objective Child sex abuse has become an increasingly well-researched phenomenon. Issues addressed include preconditions of abuse, short-term and long-term effects on the child, therapeutic interventions to help overcome the effects of abuse, and treatment of perpetrators. However, lack of reliable and nonintrusive detection and disclosure technique...

Periods of high frequency meaningful interaction among the institutionalized elderly can be extended by altering environmental and social contingencies despite the restrictive daily routine and physical layout of the institution. Residents were encouraged to participate in a table quiz in a location already sustaining high frequencies of meaningful...

Periods of high frequency meaningful interaction among the institutionalized elderly can be extended by altering environmental and social contingencies despite the restrictive daily routine and physical layout of the institution. Residents were encouraged to participate in a table quiz in a location already sustaining high frequencies of meaningful...

Lack of reliable, nonintrusive disclosure techniques remains an obstacle in child abuse investigations. Stimulus equivalence procedures have been used to detect a range of social experiences. This paper explores the role that contextual cues play in the development of these procedures. Eight 6-9-year-olds were exposed to verifiable social experienc...

This paper points to the lack of scientific images, including moving images, for promoting behavior analysis. Examples of what could be done to rectify this situation are contained in two teaching gambits that address practical and philosophical issues in the analysis of behavior. The first gambit is an elaboration of the shaping game that highligh...

A lottery was implemented to encourage the elderly clients of a residential home to use activity materials any time they wished, independently of staff intervention and the institutional routine of the home. During baseline, there were minimal levels of independent use of activity materials by residents. Various conditions were implemented but only...

The aim of this study was to reduce disruptive behaviour among a group of boys with 'behaviour problems' using the 'Good Behaviour Game'. The procedure involved dividing the class into two teams, setting a 'winning' criteria for a decrease in the rate of disruptive behaviour and providing consequences for a response rate less than the 'winning' cri...

Two experiments using rats show the effects of introducing response-reinforcer contiguity on a modified recycling conjunctive fixed-time 30 s fixed-ratio 1 schedule of food reinforcement. In Experiment 1, the frequency of programmed contiguity was varied across conditions. The general finding was an increase in overall rate of responding for all ra...

Subjects of this study were Catholics and Protestants from Northern Ireland . They included six adults and thirty children; the children were aged between five years and twelve years. Using a mixture of arbitrary and socially loaded stimuli, subjects were taught four conditional discriminations. They were taught firstly to select stimulus B I (arbi...

The widespread misrepresentation of behavior analysis may reflect the difficulties of teaching its views on private events. This paper discusses issues concerned with the analysis of private events; it also contains exercises in self-observation that are intend for use in the classroom. Students who are actively encouraged to participate in self-ob...

A recent campaign launched by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children aims to prohibit the use of physical punishment as a method to deal with problem behaviours in children. Prohibition alone, however, is not enough. Parents and other educators need alternatives when dealing with difficult and unruly youngsters. On the basis of...