Association for Behavior Analysis International

This symposium discusses recent research on the application of ABA in the area of sports and fitness. Increasingly, ABA approaches are being evaluated for enhancing sports performance and increasing fitness levels to promote health. The first paper by Downs, Miltenberger, and Biedronski evaluates video self-evaluation for enhancing the skills of novice yoga practitioners. Increased skill levels can enhance enjoyment and reduce the chance of injuries. The second paper by Kelley and Miltenberger evaluates video feedback for enhancing horseback riding skills of riders who participate in competitions. Increased skill levels can make riders more competitive and help reduce injuries. The third study by Wack, Crosland, and Miltenberger evaluated goal setting and feedback for increasing weekly running distance in beginning runners. The results showed an increase in distance for all 5 runners. These findings are important because the procedures are easy to use and accessible.

This study evaluated the use of video self-evaluation and video feedback procedures to enhance the accuracy of yoga poses. In the self-evaluation intervention participants watched their behaviors via video and scored task analyses for feedback for each pose. In the video feedback intervention, the participants and the researcher together scored the task analyses for the behaviors along with practice during video recordings. The interventions were assessed in a multiple baseline across behaviors design. Results show that video self-evaluation increased the accuracy of all poses and video feedback further increased the accuracy on one pose for one participant.

This study evaluated video feedback to improve the horseback riding skills of advanced beginner riders. The study focused on three skill sets, those used in jumping over obstacles, dressage riding on the flat, and jumping position riding on the flat. Baseline consisted of standard lesson procedures. Intervention consisted of video feedback in which a recorded attempt at the target behaviors was immediately shown to the rider with the instructor and the rider reviewing the video while the instructor delivered feedback. Target behaviors, scored according to checklists that correspond to each skill, increased with each implementation of the intervention procedure in a multiple baseline across participants design.

This study used a multiple baseline across participants and a changing criterion design to evaluate goal setting with performance feedback for increasing running distance for five healthy adults. Participants set a short-term goal each week and a long-term goal to achieve upon completion of the study. Results demonstrated that goal setting and performance feedback increased running distance for all participants.