Coursework in Compassion and Behavior Analysis Training Programs

The field of behavior analysis has demonstrated a renewed emphasis on compassionate practices in recent years, in response to calls for action from the communities that benefit from behavior analytic services. Recent publications and conference proceedings suggest a newly strengthened commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and the study of trauma-informed practices. In contribution to this effort, the faculty of a department of applied behavior analysis in an online university developed and validated a framework for compassionate practices for behavior analysts and intentionally infused these values into the curriculum of graduate-level courses using a variety of strategies. The strategies are described in terms of motivational, antecedent, and consequence-based interventions for graduate learners. The process of developing the framework is described, as well as the strategies used to support faculty in their incorporation of the framework into teaching and responding to learners. Future directions for strengthening compassionate pedagogical practices as a means of supporting the development of compassionate future behavior analysts are also described.