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1/? Thread.
This year, I opted not to officially attend ABAI. I’ve been putting a bit of thought into this, and I have a few points that basically, it would be aversive for me not to verbalize. Which is also probably a major problem for society.
Anyway, MY LIST:
This year, I opted not to officially attend ABAI. I’ve been putting a bit of thought into this, and I have a few points that basically, it would be aversive for me not to verbalize. Which is also probably a major problem for society.
Anyway, MY LIST:
2/?
1. Cost. ABAI is a wonderful conference, but ultimately, it is beyond cost prohibitive. If the expectation is that practitioners should keep up with current and best practices, putting that content behind a paywall seems counter intuitive. ALSO LOOKING AT YOU, JOURNALS.
1. Cost. ABAI is a wonderful conference, but ultimately, it is beyond cost prohibitive. If the expectation is that practitioners should keep up with current and best practices, putting that content behind a paywall seems counter intuitive. ALSO LOOKING AT YOU, JOURNALS.
3/?
2. Speakers. Speakers are not paid for this work. Sure, there might be some cool benefits like notoriety, or opportunities. But truth be told, many behavior analysis conferences require the speakers to pay to attend so they can speak. At least provide a discount or something
2. Speakers. Speakers are not paid for this work. Sure, there might be some cool benefits like notoriety, or opportunities. But truth be told, many behavior analysis conferences require the speakers to pay to attend so they can speak. At least provide a discount or something
3. Rigor. Every conference I’ve put in a call for papers at, I’ve been able to present at. Now, I’ve had some AWFUL talks. One year, I got 7 separate talks approved. I think that I can disseminate well, but I know not all of those talks rose to the rigor necessary for science.
4/?
4. The goal of Science. This goes back to pay walls. Salk famously refused to patent the polio vaccine to make it accessible to humanity. Yet we are consistently hiding our work behind conference fees that are absurd. Accessibility is lacking.
4. The goal of Science. This goes back to pay walls. Salk famously refused to patent the polio vaccine to make it accessible to humanity. Yet we are consistently hiding our work behind conference fees that are absurd. Accessibility is lacking.
5/?
5. Echo Chambers. We are consistently talking to ourselves. Which is great for maturing our field, but we do it so often that we forget there are others that need the science, too. We neglect them in these spaces.
5. Echo Chambers. We are consistently talking to ourselves. Which is great for maturing our field, but we do it so often that we forget there are others that need the science, too. We neglect them in these spaces.
6/?
6. Accessibility. This is a cultural problem, too, but general accessibility is a problem. We’ve created some great tools, but at $500 a workbook? We are preventing good science from getting to people who need it.
6. Accessibility. This is a cultural problem, too, but general accessibility is a problem. We’ve created some great tools, but at $500 a workbook? We are preventing good science from getting to people who need it.
7/?
7. “Pretty” Data. We RARELY present information on failures. We might discuss where we mess up, but we go right back to that research ready presentation that flaunts our “savior behavior” in another treatment setting. It’s unrealistic.
7. “Pretty” Data. We RARELY present information on failures. We might discuss where we mess up, but we go right back to that research ready presentation that flaunts our “savior behavior” in another treatment setting. It’s unrealistic.
8/?
Now, I’m not saying I have all the answers. I’m a loud punk kid in a rapidly growing field. But when I think of pragmatism in behavior analysis, I think of how our science works. And when I think of the GOAL of science, I think of how we should be benefiting humanity...
Now, I’m not saying I have all the answers. I’m a loud punk kid in a rapidly growing field. But when I think of pragmatism in behavior analysis, I think of how our science works. And when I think of the GOAL of science, I think of how we should be benefiting humanity...
9/9.
So my question is this. HOW does putting science in a nice, flawless package behind an expensive paywall benefit anyone other than those privileged enough to contact it? Why do we not value content creators enough to pay them SOMETHING?
How did we miss all of this?
So my question is this. HOW does putting science in a nice, flawless package behind an expensive paywall benefit anyone other than those privileged enough to contact it? Why do we not value content creators enough to pay them SOMETHING?
How did we miss all of this?
