04/16/2026
Coming soon!
🧠 New in Operants Q1 2026!
What if instead of blocking escape behavior, you used it to build new skills?
That's the core idea behind Constructional Exposure Therapy (CET), a behavior-analytic approach that harnesses negative reinforcement as a tool for shaping, rather than eliminating it through extinction.
In "Highly Reactive Emotions and Behavior: The Promise of CET," Andrew Miller & Awab Abdel-Jalil walk through compelling cases: a child with complete food aversion eating again within 90 minutes, and a young autistic man going from fear of vacuums to happily vacuuming his own living room, all without escape extinction.
Key takeaways:
✅ Emotions track contingencies, not the other way around
✅ Genuine assent is built in - participants always have a way out
✅ The shift from negative to positive reinforcement happens naturally as new repertoires open doors to new consequences
Rooted in the work of Goldiamond, Skinner, and Rosales-Ruiz and now being applied across clinical settings. 🐾➡️🧑⚕️
📖 Read the full article in Operants Q1 2026, coming soon!
