For this assignment, you will be writing a 3-5 page research paper (not including
references) investigating a topic related to the course content. You may select your own topic,
however, do not select a topic like positive reinforcement. This is two broad a topic. Select
something like the Premack Principle. The paper must be your original work and cannot be the
reformulation of a paper written for another purpose (e.g., paper written for another class,
previously planned or composed research project). The paper must be written in APA 7 th edition
style.
Specific Guidelines:
- First choose on topic from the list provided below.
- Search the behavior analytic literature for articles, chapters, and books pertaining to your
topic. Note: At least 80% of the references you use for your paper must be from behavior
analytic journals or books. Recommended journals include the Journal of Applied
Behavior Analysis, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Education and
Treatment of Children, Behavioral Interventions, Journal of Behavior Therapy and
Experimental Psychiatry, Behavior Therapy, Research in Developmental Disabilities,
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, The Behavior Analyst, Journal of Organizational
Behavior Management, Journal of Behavioral Education, and The Psychological Record,
although there are many other very good journals. - Get at least 5 articles, chapters, or books, or combinations of articles, chapters, or books,
pertaining to your topic. Whenever possible, try to get literature that spans a number of
years so that you can read about and experience the development of behavior analytic
work on your topic.
Write your paper using this outline: - Introduction: Introduce your topic. Explain what it is and why it is noteworthy.
- Literature review: If you have been able to get a body of literature that covers a number
of years, describe the development of the clinical/education/experimental/or other
research on your topic over the years, describing early research, later research, and
current research. If you have not been able to get literature that spans a number of years,
summarize the work you have gotten, in terms of procedures, findings, conclusions, and
implications. - What is known?: Explain what, based on the literature, is known about your topic. That
is, summarize what is currently known. - How is this concept applied?: Describe what makes the concept you chose an applied
concept or how can the research about this topic be applied? Why is behavior analysis
helpful to be applied to this concept or topic? - What is not known?: Identify at least two things about your topic that the literature has
not addressed, and for each make a recommendation for future work (see the future
research sections of your articles). When making your recommendations, state what the
recommendation is, on what it is based, and how it could add to the behavior analytic
literature. - Conclusion: Summarize your topic and bring your paper to a logical conclusion.
Write your paper in APA Style (7 th edition), and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
This assignment is worth a total of 100 points. Late papers will be accepted, with a 10% penalty
on total points earned for the paper.
