Behavior Analysis in Practice - BAP Special Issue - Beyond Social Validity: Embracing Qualitative Research in Behavior Analysis
Guest Editors
Jennifer R. Wolgemuth, University of South Florida, jrwolgemuth@usf.edu (this opens in a new tab)
Claire St. Peter, West Virginia University, claire.stpeter@mail.wvu.edu (this opens in a new tab)
Call for Contributions
What might qualitative methods and methodologies offer behavior analysis, a field well-grounded in behaviorist practices and theories, in pragmatist and (post)positivist philosophies of science? Qualitative research, with its foundations in humanizing theories and philosophies that center subjective knowledge, interpretation, and the rich complexity of lived experience, may seem philosophically distant from behaviorist approaches. But perhaps qualitative and behaviorist research is, or can be, closer than we imagine. The purpose of this special issue is to explore existing connections and to create new synergies between qualitative research and behavior-analytic research and practice.
Advancing one connection, Burner, Arnold-Saritepe, and McCann (2023) convincingly argued that if behavior science is to better meet individual, family, and community needs, then it must include new methods up to that task, namely qualitative ones. That is, behavior analyst researchers and practitioners should attend to the ‘social validity’ of their interventions and what better way to do so than to make good use of methods that generate data on consumer and stakeholder perceptions and experiences?
At the same time, qualitative research is neither monolithic nor ‘new’ to many human science disciplines. Just like its quantitative counterpart, qualitative research has many designs and methods and continues to grow and expand as a discipline. Although qualitative research methods and methodologies can certainly be put to good use in any discipline concerned with human justice, experience, and thriving, it seems likely that doing so involves more than adding a method to a toolbox, and in the context of behavior analysis, it also stands to inform more than just social validity. Embracing qualitative research brings an opportunity to rethink, retheorize, reinvent, and maybe even revolutionize a field’s assumptions about knowledge and knowledge-driven practice (What is important to know? Whose knowing matters? How is knowledge put to good work?), knowledge production (How should we seek to know? Who controls how knowledge is created? How do we know what works?), the quality of knowledge production and practice (What are the best ways to know? What are the best ways to intervene? According to whom?). Perhaps embracing qualitative research might remind behavior analysts of Sidman’s (1960) early warnings about the dangers of presumed objectivity and procedural rigidity of single-case design research:
“…the assessment of reliability and generality requires mature judgment. There are, however, many psychologists who insist that reliability and generality be evaluated on a purely impersonal basis…” (p. 42)
“I could make the trite statement that every rule has its exception, but this is not strong enough. Nor is the more relaxed statement that the rules of experimental design are flexible, to be employed only where appropriate. The fact is that there are no rules of experimental design.” (emphasis in original)” (p. 214)
Our special issue on ‘qualitative research beyond social validity’ invites behavior-analytic scholars and practitioners who have ever used, learned, taught, or considered qualitative methods and methodologies in their work to pause and reflect on what embracing qualitative research can mean, do, disrupt, and make possible in behavior analysis.
To be clear, the special issue’s focus is on methodology. That is, we are not seeking contributions that report the results of qualitative studies in behavior analysis. Rather, we invite pedagogical, conceptual, and personally reflective (discussion) contributions about teaching, learning, and conceptualizing the role of qualitative research in behavior analysis – contributions that address questions such as:
- What is the epistemological value of qualitative research as it pertains to behavior-analytic research?
- What guidelines or tutorials might help behavior-analytic researchers to make good use of qualitative research?
- How has qualitative research been (mis)used in behavior analysis research and practice and to what effect?
- What new understandings and insights are enabled by qualitative research?
- How might qualitative research contribute to social justice efforts in behavior analysis?
- How do we learn, teach, and mentor qualitative research skills? What and how should we teach?
- What uses and insights are enabled by qualitative research?
- What are practical, theoretical, and/or philosophical considerations for integrating qualitative and single-case research approaches?
- How have you personally changed your practice or grown as a scholar from using qualitative research?
- What tensions does using qualitative research raise in behavior analysis research and practice?
- Are there good reasons for behavior analysis not to embrace qualitative research?
- How might qualitative research shift assumptions, research, or practices in behavior analysis?
- By what (new?) criteria do we assess the quality (validity) of qualitative research in behavior analysis?
- And other topics exploring and discussing the role, value, and use of qualitative research in behavior analysis and practice.
Contributions
We request potential contributors first submit a tentative title and an extended 1000-word abstract for consideration by July 1, 2024. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be invited to submit a full manuscript, due March 15, 2025, which will undergo BAP’s standard peer review process.
Final manuscripts should be 6000 words or less, including references.
Timeline
- May 1, 2024 -- Call for abstracts and invitations for contributions
- July 1, 2024 – Abstract submission deadline
- August 1, 2024 – Abstract authors notified, extended invitation to submit full manuscripts
- March 15, 2025 – Manuscripts due, sent out for peer review
- May 15, 2025 – Authors notified of decision, revisions requested
- August 15, 2025 – Manuscript revisions due, sent out for editor/peer review
- October 15, 2025 – Second round of revisions requested, if needed
- December 15, 2025 – Final manuscripts submitted to BAP