EABA2026 Summer School: Infant social learning behavior analytic interventions. Prof. Martha Palaez

Dr Palaez presents experimental illustrations of how social stimuli provided by the caregivers during interactions with their infants are essential to furthering our understanding of infant social learning. She illustrates behaviour-analytic procedures and methodologies that compare different types of caregivers’ reinforcing stimuli (i.e., visual, auditory, tactile) during interactions with infants. She discusses early assessments and intervention tactics that can be used effectively by school psychologists and behaviour analysts conducting interventions with infants with autism. Martha Pelaez, Ph.D. is a Frost Professor of Psychology at the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education (CASE), School of Human Development, Florida International University. Dr. Pelaez teaches courses in Child Development, Behavioral Interventions: Research and Evaluation, and Educational Psychology. She directs infant and early childhood doctoral research at Endicott College, Institute of Applied Behavior Science. And external reader for dissertations at Fielding Graduate School, CA. Dr. Pelaez research involves mother-infant interactions and early social–learning processes, as well design applied interventions with children at risk of developmental delays, depression, and early autism. Dr. Pelaez has published more than 100 articles in refereed journals (including the American Psychologist, Child Development, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Analysis in Practice, Infant Behavior & Development, Psychological Record, and Perspectives on Behavior Science), dozens of chapters and monographs, and an influential textbook on Child Development (with Novak, 2004, 2022). Her research has been supported by NIH, DOE, and other federal and state agencies. Professor Pelaez is the founding Editor of the Behavior Development Bulletin (1990-2017) and has been a member of ten editorial boards of refereed scientific journals, including the European Journal of Behavior Analysis and Perspectives on Behavior Science. She has been awarded Fellowship status by the American Psychological Association (APA) and a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). Dr. Pelaez is the 2023 recipient of the Nathan H. Azrin Award granted by the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 25 for her distinguish contributions to applied research with young children and their social learning. She is currently a Trustee of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (2000– ). She served as the At-Large Representative on the Executive Council Board of Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) (2020-2024). She is past member of ABAI’s Science Board (2019-2022). Dr. Pelaez was a voting member of the Florida Board of Governors (BOG, 2005-2006) of the Florida State University System (FSUS) and as Chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates (ACFS) of the Florida State University System (SUS). She is currently nominated for President-Elect of ABAI.