2016: Luis Carlos Fonseca-León
University of Guadalajara
Luis Carlos Fonseca-León, MSc, is a Colombian psychologist, researcher, and Ph.D. student in the Behavior Science Program at the Center for Behavior Studies and Research, University of Guadalajara.
In Colombia, Mexico, and other Latin American countries, psychology is studied as a liberal art and a profession separate from scientific research, and psychology students may obtain bachelor’s degrees without exposure to the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) or applied behavior analysis (ABA).
Unfortunately, the University of Guadalajara, a public university, can't meet the demand of students interested in psychology; in contrast, many private universities offer an undergraduate program in psychology that is authorized and periodically inspected by the University of Guadalajara. In none of these programs can you find courses in EAB or ABA. Some courses may make only fleeting mention of EAB or ABA, and experimental psychology is offered as an elective if there are enough students interested.
To address this situation, we have to start by changing the teaching of psychology, EAB, and ABA, and recognize the transformation required by researchers, teachers, and students, as well as academic organizations as a whole. Under the present circumstances, virtual media can help.
The SABA grant was used to purchase equipment in support of the Virtual Academy and Laboratory for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and Psychology—a space for discussion and training in topics related to EAB, ABA, and experimental psychology, including recruitment of study participants. The Virtual Academy will offer online courses, via Google Hangouts, to undergraduate students and professionals in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and Bogotá, Colombia, interested in EAB, ABA, and experimental psychology.
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