Applied behavior analysis is a science that has been applied to many areas of human life. Applications within the areas of health and fitness have been studied but are not well-publicized. In addition, a growing interest among behavior analysts exists to expand their scope of competence and practice within a variety of sub-areas that fall within the realm of health and fitness. In this talk, an overview of a number of areas will be provided, including weight management, healthy eating, smoking cessation, exercise and physical activity adherence, and sport-specific skills application.


Learning Objectives

  1. Identify classical and operant conditioning components of smoking cessation programs.
  2. Explain why weight is a problematic behavior product and how to select and monitor appropriate diet and exercise-related behaviors when implementing weight management programs.
  3. Apply behavioral principles when designing exercise and physical activity programs.
  4. Create task analyses and develop shaping and chaining programs to teach sport-specific physical skills.

About the Presenter

Bobby Newman
Bobby Newman is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Licensed Behavior Analyst in New York and Tennessee, and Licensed Psychologist. Affectionately known as the Dark Overlord of ABA, Bobby is the first author on thirteen books regarding behavior therapy, the philosophy of behaviorism, the autism spectrum disorders, utopian literature, and fitness. He has published over two dozen articles in professional journals, as well as numerous popular magazine articles and has hosted two series of radio call-in shows. Bobby is the Past-President of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment and the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis. A popular speaker, Bobby also provides direct treatment, staff training and consultation around the world, and has been honored for this work by several parents and professional groups. He is the Executive Director of Clinical Services for Proud Moments. Bobby is also a certified personal trainer, obstacle course racer and marathoner and is an Ambassador for the Great Sportsmanship Programme. Bobby teaches non-violent crisis intervention philosophy and techniques for agencies and families. Bobby was a final four finalist for the 2016 For Those Who Would Humanitarian Award. Along with parents and advocates Bobbi Rogers and Leanne Morphet, he co-hosts "Covid Conversations," a weekly podcast examining the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on people with developmental disabilities.
Julie Slowiak
Julie M. Slowiak, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Executive Director of the Behavior Analysis in Health, Sport, and Fitness SIG, a non- profit organization, and Founder of InJewel LLC, a values-focused coaching and consulting company. Dr. Slowiak earned a BA. in Psychology and Organizational Communication, M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral. Dr. Slowiak's research, teaching, and applied work focus on designing physical and social environments to support individual and organizational health, performance, and wellbeing. Her research blends her training in applied behavior analysis and organizational behavior management with topics studied in the fields of occupational health psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and applied sports psychology. Dr. Slowiak's current research interests focus on issues related to worker wellbeing, particularly within human service professions, and specifically as they relate to personal and professional self-care and burnout. In addition, she is interested in issues related to psychological safety in sport and how it affects both student-athlete mental health and coach burnout. A newer interest of Dr. Slowiak's focuses on exploring organizational factors that influence wellbeing and sustained employment of those with invisible and episodic chronic health conditions. Finally, she is interested in the integration of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT Training) to health, behavior, and human performance coaching. Dr. Slowiak has presented at local, regional, and national conferences. Her empirical work has been published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, Behavior Analysis in Practice, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, Quality Management in Health Care, and The Psychological Record. She served as a the Lead Guest Editor for a recent special issue on Behavior Analysis in Health, Sport, and Fitness in the journal Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice co-authored a forthcoming chapter titled Practice and Consultation in Health, Sport, and Fitness in the 2 nd edition of the text, Applied Behavior Analysis Advanced Guidebook: A Manual for Professional Practice.

Course information

  • Title: ABA Applications for Health and Fitness
  • Presenter: Bobby Newman Ph.D, Julie Slowiak Ph.D.
  • CEUs: 2 Learning
  • Duration: 1 hour and 40 minutes
  • Customer Rating: (597)
$39.00

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