Statistics for Applied Behavior Analysis Practitioners and Researchers

David J. Cox, Ph.D., M.S.B., BCBA-D currently works as the VP of Data Science at RethinkFirst and is faculty at the Institute for Applied Behavioral Science at Endicott College. Dr. Cox has earned a M.S. in Bioethics from Union Graduate College; a PhD in behavior analysis from the University of Florida; a post-doctoral fellowship at the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and a post-doctoral fellowship at Insight! Data Science. Since 2014, Dr. Cox’s research and applied work has focused on how to effectively leverage technology, quantitative modeling, and artificial intelligence to ethically optimize behavioral health outcomes and clinical decision-making. Based on his individual and collaborative work, he has published 50+ peer-reviewed articles, three books, and 150+ presentations at scientific conferences. Dr. Jason C. Vladescu is the Founding Chair and Professor of the Applied Behavior Analysis Program at SUNY Downstate and a Founding Partner at The Capstone Center. He earned his Ph.D. from Central Michigan University and completed his pre- and post-doctoral training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe-Meyer Institute. Dr. Vladescu serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Behavior Analysis in Practice, has held editorial roles for multiple scientific journals, and received the APA Division 25 New Researcher Award in 2020. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and one book. His research focuses on behavioral interventions for individuals with autism, enhancing academic instruction, training staff and caregivers, and expanding the application of behavior analysis. Outside of his work in behavior analysis, Dr. Vladescu enjoys traveling, reading biographies and science fiction, playing pickleball, and indulging his love for pizza and coffee.

"Statistics? In behavior analysis?! YES. Whether you’re looking to better summarize client data, increase the impact of your scholarship, or simply searching for a way to get started in stats, this book is for you. Cox and Vladescu provide humor, engaging examples, and simple illustrations to demystify statistics, all while harnessing their expertise in the science of learning to render this an effective introductory text. Statistics for Applied Behavior Analysis Practitioners and Researchers is a resource that should be on all behavior analysts’ bookshelves." --Dr. Derek Reed (Director of Applied Behavioral Sciences at Institutes for Behavior Resources, Inc.)"We live in a statistical world, and statistical tools are the lingua franca of the evidence-based practice movement. Behavior analysts will find no better introduction to these tools than Cox and Vladescu's book. A breezy narrative makes the explanation as painless as possible and gives equal emphasis to what should be done and -- critically for newcomers to statistics -- why it should be done. The result will be useful to investigators who care about attracting interdisciplinary attention to their research, and to practitioners who seek to stay abreast of research advances. I see this book as a must-have reference as well as a critical complement to any research design course for behavior analysts." --Thomas S. Critchfield, Illinois State University*5 stars* "...explores basic statistical concepts and principles used in applied behavior analysis... [and] current standards for publication…. [for] behavior analysis professionals and researchers who make data-based decisions regarding interventions and assessments. Graduate students in the social sciences would benefit as well…. The authors are credible authorities.... This book is very readable and provides a good introduction to the topic of statistical analysis of behavior.... The authors do a good job of presenting the concepts so the reader can understand how to apply them with research data.... The reader will not be disappointed with this introductory material.” --©Doody’s Review Service, 2024, Gary B Kaniuk, PsyD (Cermak Health Services)

• 1. The requisite boring stuff Part I: Defining a statistic and the benefit of numbers2. The requisite boring stuff Part II: Data types and data distributions3. How can we describe our data with numbers? Central tendency and point estimates4. Just how stable is responding? Estimating variability5. Just how good is my intervention? Statistical significance, effect sizes and social significance6. Oh, shoot! I forgot about that! Estimating the influence of uncontrolled variables7. How fast can I get to an answer? Sample size, power, and observing behavior8. Wait, you mean the clock is always ticking? The unique challenges time adds to statistically analyzing time series data9. This math and time thing is cool! Time series decomposition and forecasting behavior 10. I suppose I should tell someone about the fun I’ve had: Chapter checklists for thinking, writing, and presenting statistics11. Through the looking glass: Probability theory, frequentist statistics and Bayesian statistics