Newsletter
Volume 31| 2008| Number 2
Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior (EAHB)
By Dr. Cynthia Pietras
This past year the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior (EAHB) SIG continued to promote its interest area through sponsorship of the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin, the Student Paper Competition, and the EAHB SIG Distinguished Career Award. The Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin (www.EAHB.org) is an online, ongoing journal for empirical articles, research in progress, technical information, and other articles and activities related to human operant research. The yearly Student Paper Competition is designed to promote and recognize scholarly activity in the experimental analysis of human behavior, and the annual Distinguished Career Award aims to recognize and honor an individual who has made outstanding lifetime contributions to the experimental analysis of human behavior.
In 2007, the EAHB SIG held its annual meeting at the ABAI convention in San Diego. At this meeting, the SIG congratulated and gave awards to the 2006-2007 Student Paper Winners: Jennifer Hitt (Illinois State University) and sponsor Dr. Tom Critchfield (Illinois State University) for her paper, “An Application of the Matching Law to Big Ten Basketball;” and Brian D. Kangas (University of Florida) and sponsor Dr. Diana Walker (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology) for his paper, “An Adjusting-Dose Procedure To Identify the Optimal Reinforcing Dose of Nitrous Oxide.” The SIG was also honored to present its 2007 Distinguished Career Award to Dr. David R. Schmitt for his contributions to the experimental analysis of human social behavior.
This year at the ABAI annual convention, the SIG presented awards to our new student paper winners: Daniel Fienup (Illinois State University) and sponsor Thomas S. Critchfield (Illinois State University) for the paper, “Establishing Concepts of Inferential Statistics and Hypothesis Decision Making Through Contextually-Controlled Equivalence Classes;” and Yusuke Hayashi (West Virginia University) and sponsor Manish Vaidya (University of North Texas) for the paper, “Effects of Stimulus Discriminability on the Acquisition of Conditional Discriminations in Adult Humans.” The SIG would like to acknowledge all of the participants and reviewers who made this event possible.
The SIG was very excited to present its 2008 Distinguished Career award to Dr. Charles Catania. Dr. Catania presented a brief address at ABAI titled, “The Origins and Consequences of Fictional Verbal Entities.” The SIG also sponsored a symposium this year titled, “The Experimental Analysis of Human Social Behavior: Symposium in Honor of David R. Schmitt.” The symposium was designed to honor the work of Dr. Schmitt, the 2007 recipient of the Distinguished Career Award, who was unable to attend ABAI last year. Lastly, the SIG held its annual meeting at ABAI where we discussed nominations for the SIG’s Student Paper Award Coordinator and Treasurer, the EAHB Bulletin, nominations for next year’s award recipients, membership, and other business. The meeting was open to everyone interested in attending.
Additional information on the EAHB SIG, the EAHB Bulletin, and membership can be found at www.eahb.org. Those interested in the student paper competition should consult the Web site for contest rules and instructions. We are accepting nominations for next year’s Distinguished Career Award. Submissions to the EAHB Bulletin are always welcome.