Behavior Analysis in Health, Sport, and Fitness SIG

By Julie M. Slowiak

The mission of the Behavior Analysis in Health, Sport, and Fitness Special Interest Group (HSF SIG) is to educate, coordinate, and provide resources to behavior analysts and other members of society seeking to promote desirable behavior change in health, sport, and fitness through the application of the science of behavior analysis.

We strive to fulfill our mission through: (a) Educating behavior analysts and other members of society and increasing awareness, visibility, and understanding of the application of the science of behavior analysis to health, sport, and fitness; (b) Disseminating information about the practice of behavior analysis and educational and training opportunities relevant to practice of behavior analysis in the areas of health, sport, and fitness;
(c) Providing a professional network and access to educational and training resources (e.g., continuing education events, mentorship opportunities) for its members; (d) Obtaining financial resources to support research grants for behavior analysts who seek to conduct research with the objective to develop or evaluate behavior analytic interventions to resolve human challenges in health, sport, and fitness; and (e) Collaborating with other non-profit organizations, healthcare agencies, and health, sport, and fitness professionals to maximize our impact on current efforts.

The HSF SIG became affiliated with ABAI in 1997 and organized as a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization in April 2019. The HSF SIG’s annual strategic plan supports the continued growth of the application of behavior analysis in the areas of health, sport, and fitness (HSF) by setting goals that aim to improve visibility and awareness, increase member outreach, encourage practitioner skill development and competence, and support research and dissemination efforts. In 2022, the HSF SIG Board of Directors evaluated the organization’s structure and made the decision to restructure the HSF SIG in order to better support its mission. In doing so, a variety of Volunteer Support roles were created to enhance engagement through member outreach, increase visibility and awareness of the HSF SIG and of the application of behavior analysis to HSF through internal and external communications, support practitioners seeking guidance on branching out into this area of specialization, promote awareness of HSF research, and provide financial support to graduate student researchers. Adding these roles has offered new opportunities for student and professional members to be actively involved in work of the organization.

The HSF SIG’s small research grant program is now in its fifth year. The purpose of this grant is to support graduate students who engage in experimental research to demonstrate the application of behavior analysis to address human behavior in the areas of health, sport, or fitness. Additional goals of this program are to disseminate behavior analytic research and practice and to expand research opportunities for graduate students of behavior analysis. With available donations received through fundraising and co-hosting continuing education events, the HSF SIG was able to award three $750 grants in 2023.

Recipients included: Erin Herndon, The Chicago School (Faculty Supervisor: Cameron Mittelman, Ph.D., BCBA), Janet Dai, The Chicago School (Faculty Supervisor: Tyler Ré, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA), and Maddie Duke, Florida Institute of Technology (Faculty Supervisor: Jonathan K. Fernand, Ph.D., BCBA-D). Two grant recipients presented their research at the 2024 ABAI Annual Convention as part of a symposium titled, Health, Sport and Fitness SIG Grant Recipients: Exciting New Areas of Research. One grant recipient presented their research at the 2024 Nevada ABA conference. Recipients of the 2024 HSF SIG Small Research Grant program were announced at the ABAI annual convention. The call for applications for the 2025 HSF SIG Small Research Grant program will be announced in late 2024, and applications will be due in February 2025.

Our Annual Business Meeting was held virtually in June 2023. At this year’s meeting, we introduced members of the Board of Directors who joined us over the past year. We presented the HSF SIG’s mission, strategy areas, major goals, and opportunities for members to get involved.
We also provided an overview of our accomplishments over the past year.

One of our ongoing goals is to continue to increase visibility of the HSF SIG at the ABAI annual convention, as well as at state and regional conferences, through organizing fun activities for attendees that focus on maintaining healthy habits during travel and combating sedentary behavior while attending conferences. If conference organizers are interested in collaborating with us to organize a health and fitness-related event (whether in person or virtually), please email our Member Outreach Manager at membership@hsfsig.org.

Conversations among members continue to support the contention that several barriers and ethical considerations exist for those who desire to practice in the areas of health, sport, and fitness. In addition, opportunities to secure research and supervised fieldwork experiences in academic programs are limited by the small number of ABA faculty with expertise or interest in health, sport, and fitness, as well as limited course offerings. Our focus will be to continue to support those who are interested in practicing and conducting behavior-analytic research within the areas of health, sport, and fitness.

HSF SIG Board Members include:
Julie Slowiak, Ph.D., BCBA-D,
University of Minnesota Duluth & InJewel LLC (Executive Director)
Raymond Miltenberger, Ph.D., BCBA-D,
University of South Florida (President)
Jesse DePaolo, Ph.D., BCBA-D,
University of South Florida (Treasurer/Secretary)
Bryon Miller, Ph.D., BCBA-D,
University of South Florida
(Communications Director)
Member Outreach Direct: (vacant at time of writing)

We would like to give special thanks to those members who have volunteered their time over the past year:
Julie Ackerlund Brandt, Ph.D., BCBA-D,
The Chicago School
Sarah Burby, M.A., BCBA; Mind Body Behavior LLC
Lucas Capobianco-Hogan, B.A., RBT,
Great Strides Rehabilitation
Erin Herndon, M.A., BCBA, The Chicago School
Linh Huynh, M.S., BCBA, University of Toledo
Shariq Khan, M.S., Endicott College
Amber Lampert, M.S., BCBA,
Florida Institute of Technology & Acorn Health
Ben Lowe, M.A., BCBA, Kent ISD & Compass Behavior Solutions
Andrea Murray, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Capella University
Rocky Perez, M.A., Western Michigan University
Sharlet Rafacz, Ph.D., BCBA-D,
Western Michigan University
Natalie Salazar, M.A., BCBA, Behavioral Innovations & The Chicago School
Samantha Thomas, M.A., RBT,
Positive Behavior Supports Corp.
Carole Van Camp, Ph.D., BCBA-D, University of North Carolina, Wilmington

For more information, please go to our website (www.hsfsig.org/), Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/groups/hsf.sig), or follow us on Instagram (@hsf.sig). If you’re interested in joining the HSF SIG, you will find details on our website (www.hsfsig.org/join-the-sig/). Membership is $10/ year for students and $20/year for professionals (we also offer a 2-year option at $30/year for professionals). If you have any questions, want to contribute to our blog, or would like to take a more active role in the Behavior Analysis in Health, Sport, & Fitness SIG, please email us at director@hsfsig.org.