ArticleBehavior analysis in practice2026
The Constructional Approach: A Compassionate Approach to Behavior Change.
Article in Behavior analysis in practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Rethinking Negative Reinforcement in Zoo Animal Welfare: A Constructional Approach to Distance as a Reinforcer to Address Fear and Aggression.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Considerations for Applied Behavior Analysts Embracing Intersectional Qualitative Research Within the Context of Intervention Research.Behavior analysis in practice · 2026Article
- Ableism in Applied Behavior Analysis: Historical Context of Services for Autistic People.Behavior analysis in practice · 2026Review
- Can There Be Compassion without Assent? A Nonlinear Constructional Approach.Behavior analysis in practice · 2026Article
- From Aversive, Toward Appetitive: A Behavioral Conceptual Analysis of Compassion.Behavior analysis in practice · 2026Article
- Foundations of Preemptive Compassion: A Behavioral Concept Analysis of Compulsion, Consent, and Assent.Behavior analysis in practice · 2026Article
- The Constructional Approach to Zoo Animal Training: Enhancing Welfare Through Emerging Evidence-Based Behavioral Science.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- Applied Behavior Analysis at a Crossroads: Reform, Branding, and the Future of Behavior Analysis.Perspectives on behavior science · 2025Article
- Constructional Parent Coaching: A Collaborative Approach to Improve the Lives of Parents of Children with Autism.Behavior analysis in practice · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Recent criticisms have led some behavior analytic researchers and practitioners to look to other fields, including health care and human service professions, for new ideas on how to increase compassion and empathy in their practices (Rohrer & Weiss, 2022; Taylor et al., 2019). The application of these ideas had led to improved therapeutic relationships between board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) and caregivers of children with autism. At this time, more work is needed to extend a behavior analytic understanding of compassion to the development and implementation of behavior change procedures. In this article, we identify three critical features of compassion: (1) identifying suffering; (2) demonstrating empathy; and (3) acting to alleviate and prevent suffering. These critical features are then discussed in the context of two behavior change strategies that Israel Goldiamond (1974/2002) formalized, the constructional and pathological approaches. The pathological approach gives priority to the elimination of costly or distressing behavior. The constructional approach gives priority to the establishment, transfer, and reinstatement of repertoires. This article illustrates how the four questions of the constructional approach provide a framework that behavior analysts can use for developing and providing compassionate behavior analytic services.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.