Applied Psychology

The Department of Applied Psychology is a science-practitioner based unit that:

1. generates new knowledge through research and the translation of research to applications that optimize the development, and promote the mental and physical health, of children and adults across the life span.
2. trains the next generation of leaders in school psychology, counseling psychology, college student development, applied behavior analysis, and related fields.

Faculty and students come from diverse training, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, providing an enriching learning experience. Our doctoral programs provide excellent educational opportunities for those interested in professional psychology with specialized training for future careers in academic or practice positions as licensed psychologists. We expect our students to become high level science based practitioners contributing with their behavioral health training to promote integrated and interprofessional health policies and practices in a multicultural and global world.

The Department shares Bouvé College of Health Sciences mission of being a center of excellence in professional health education, research, and service. The Department is strongly committed to Bouvé’s emphasis on cross-disciplinary interaction among faculty and students from the different schools and departments, to foster the next generation of interprofessional healthcare leaders of our global community.

Our graduates are well-prepared to become applied psychologists and behavioral health science professionals in a variety of health, educational, governmental, community, organizational, and private settings.

Applied Behavior Analysis (MS)

1. Demonstrate adherence to the scientist-practitioner model through systematic application of empirically-supported interventions and data-driven decision making
2. Provide clear behavioral rationales for assessment and intervention procedures based on current empirical literature and evidence-based practice standards
3. Maintain ethical conduct and implement socially valid interventions that promote meaningful behavior change
4. Communicate behavior analytic principles and procedures effectively across diverse audiences while maintaining conceptual consistency with the science of behavior analysis

In addition to the outcomes above, students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the areas of:

Behaviorism philosophical underpinnings

• Identify and describe dimensions of applied behavior analysis
• Identify the goals of behavior analysis as a science (i.e., description, prediction, control).
• Explain the philosophical assumptions underlying the science of behavior analysis (e.g., selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, pragmatism).
• Explain behavior from the perspective of radical behaviorism.
• Distinguish among behaviorism, the experimental analysis of behavior, applied behavior analysis, and professional practice guided by the science of behavior analysis

Concepts and principles

• Identify and distinguish among behavior, response, and response class.
• Identify and distinguish between stimulus and stimulus class.
• Identify and distinguish between respondent and operant conditioning.
• Identify and distinguish between positive and negative reinforcement contingencies.
• Identify and distinguish between positive and negative punishment contingencies.
• Identify and distinguish between automatic and socially mediated contingencies.
• Identify and distinguish among unconditioned, conditioned, and generalized reinforcers.
• Identify and distinguish among unconditioned, conditioned, and generalized punishers.
• Identify and distinguish among simple schedules of reinforcement.
• Identify and distinguish among concurrent, multiple, mixed, and chained schedules of reinforcement.
• Identify and distinguish between operant and respondent extinction as operations and processes.
• Identify examples of stimulus control.
• Identify examples of stimulus discrimination.
• Identify and distinguish between stimulus and response generalization.
• Identify examples of response maintenance.
• Identify examples of motivating operations
• Distinguish between motivating operations and stimulus control.
• Identify and distinguish between rule-governed and contingency-shaped behavior.
• Identify and distinguish among verbal operants.
• Identify the role of multiple control in verbal behavior.
• Identify examples of processes that promote emergent relations and generative performance.
• Identify ways behavioral momentum can be used to understand response persistence.
• Identify ways the matching law can be used to interpret response allocation.
• Identify and distinguish between imitation and observational learning

Measurement, data display, and interpretation

• Create operational definitions of behavior.
• Distinguish among direct, indirect, and product measures of behavior.
• Measure occurrence.
• Measure temporal dimensions of behavior (e.g., duration, latency, interresponse time).
• Distinguish between continuous and discontinuous measurement procedures.
• Design and apply discontinuous measurement procedures (e.g., interval recording, time sampling)
• Measure efficiency (e.g., trials to criterion, cost-benefit analysis, training duration).
• Evaluate the validity and reliability of measurement procedures.
• Select a measurement procedure to obtain representative data that accounts for the critical dimension of the behavior and environmental constraints.
• Graph data to communicate relevant quantitative relations (e.g., equal-interval graphs, bar graphs, cumulative records).
• Interpret graphed data.
• Select a measurement procedure to obtain representative procedural integrity data that accounts for relevant dimensions (e.g., accuracy, dosage) and environmental constraints.

Experimental design

• Distinguish between dependent and independent variables.
• Distinguish between internal and external validity.
• Identify threats to internal validity (e.g., history, maturation).
• Identify the defining features of single-case experimental designs (e.g., individuals serve as their own controls, repeated measures, prediction, verification, replication).
• Identify the relative strengths of single-case experimental designs and group designs.
• Critique and interpret data from single-case experimental designs.
• Distinguish among reversal, multiple-baseline, multielement, and changing-criterion designs.
• Identify rationales for conducting comparative, component, and parametric analyses.
• Apply single-case experimental designs.

Ethics and professional issues

• Identify and apply core principles underlying the ethics codes for BACB certificants (e.g., benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity).
• Identify the risks to oneself, others, and the profession as a result of engaging in unethical behavior.
• Develop and maintain competence by engaging in professional development activities (e.g., read literature, seek consultation, establish mentors).
• Identify and comply with requirements for collecting, using, protecting, and disclosing confidential information.
• Identify and comply with requirements for making public statements about professional activities (e.g., social media activity; misrepresentation of professional credentials, behavior analysis, and service outcomes).
• Identify the conditions under which services or supervision should be discontinued and apply steps that should be taken when transitioning clients and supervisees to another professional.
• Identify types of and risks associated with multiple relationships, and how to mitigate those risks when they are unavoidable.
• Identify and apply interpersonal and other skills (e.g., accepting feedback, listening actively, seeking input, collaborating) to establish and maintain professional relationships.
• Engage in cultural humility in service delivery and professional relationships.
• Apply culturally responsive and inclusive service and supervision activities.
• Identify personal biases and how they might interfere with professional activity
• Identify and apply the legal, regulatory, and practice requirements (e.g., licensure, jurisprudence, funding, certification) relevant to the delivery of behavioranalytic services.

Behavior assessment

• Identify relevant sources of information in records (e.g., educational, medical, historical) at the outset of the case.
• Identify and integrate relevant cultural variables in the assessment process
• Design and evaluate assessments of relevant skill strengths and areas of need.
• Design and evaluate preference assessments.
• Design and evaluate descriptive assessments.
• Design and evaluate functional analyses.
• Interpret assessment data to determine the need for behavior-analytic services and/or referral to others
• Interpret assessment data to identify and prioritize socially significant, client-informed, and culturally responsive behavior-change procedures and goals.

Behavior change procedures

• Design and evaluate positive and negative reinforcement procedures.
• Design and evaluate differential reinforcement (e.g., DRA, DRO, DRL, DRH) procedures with and without extinction.
• Design and evaluate time-based reinforcement (e.g., fixed time) schedules.
• Identify procedures to establish and use conditioned reinforcers (e.g., token economies).
• Incorporate motivating operations and discriminative stimuli into behavior-change procedures.
• Design and evaluate procedures to produce simple and conditional discriminations
• Select and evaluate stimulus and response prompting procedures (e.g., errorless, most-to-least, least-to-most).
• Design and implement procedures to fade stimulus and response prompts (e.g., prompt delay, stimulus fading).
• Design and evaluate modeling procedures.
• Design and evaluate instructions and rules.
• Shape dimensions of behavior.
• Select and implement chaining procedures.
• Design and evaluate trial-based and free operant procedures.
• Design and evaluate group contingencies.
• Design and evaluate procedures to promote stimulus and response generalization
• Design and evaluate procedures to maintain desired behavior change following intervention (e.g., schedule thinning, transferring to naturally occurring reinforcers).
• Design and evaluate positive and negative punishment (e.g., time-out, response cost, overcorrection).
• Evaluate emotional and elicited effects of behavior change procedures.
• Design and evaluate procedures to promote emergent relations and generative performance.

Selecting and implementing interventions

• Develop intervention goals in observable and measurable terms.
• Identify and recommend interventions based on assessment results, scientific evidence, client preferences, and contextual fit (e.g., expertise required for implementation, cultural variables, environmental resources).
• Select socially valid alternative behavior to be established or increased when a target behavior is to be decreased.
• Plan for and attempt to mitigate possible unwanted effects when using reinforcement, extinction, and punishment procedures
• Plan for and attempt to mitigate possible relapse of the target behavior
• Make data-based decisions about procedural integrity
• Make data-based decisions about the effectiveness of the intervention and the need for modification.
• Collaborate with others to support and enhance client services.

Personal supervision and management

• Identify the benefits of using behavior-analytic supervision (e.g., improved client outcomes, improved staff performance and retention).
• Identify and apply strategies for establishing effective supervisory relationships (e.g., executing supervisorsupervisee contracts, establishing clear expectations, giving and accepting feedback).
• Identify and implement methods that promote equity in supervision practices.
• Select supervision goals based on an assessment of the supervisee’s skills, cultural variables, and the environment.
• Identify and apply empirically validated and culturally responsive performance management procedures (e.g., modeling, practice, feedback, reinforcement, task clarification, manipulation of response effort).
• Apply a function-based approach (e.g., performance diagnostics) to assess and improve supervisee behavior.
• Make data-based decisions about the efficacy of supervisory practices.

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Applied Educational Psychology (MS)

Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the areas of:

Data-Based Decision Making

• School psychologists understand and utilize assessment methods for identifying strengths and needs; for developing effective interventions, services, and programs; and for measuring progress and outcomes within a multitiered system of supports.
• School psychologists use a problem-solving framework as the basis for all professional activities.
• School psychologists systematically collect data from multiple sources as a foundation for decision making at the individual, group, and systems levels, and consider ecological factors (e.g., classroom, family, and community characteristics) as a context for assessment and intervention.

Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice

• School psychologists have knowledge of the history and foundations of school psychology; multiple service models and methods; ethical, legal, and professional standards; and other factors related to professional identity and effective practice as school psychologists.
• School psychologists provide services consistent with ethical, legal, and professional standards; engage in responsive ethical and professional decision making; collaborate with other professionals; and apply professional work characteristics needed for effective practice as school psychologists, including effective interpersonal skills, responsibility, adaptability, initiative, dependability, technological competence, advocacy skills, respect for human diversity, and a commitment to social justice and equity.

Consultation and Collaboration

• School psychologists understand varied models and strategies of consultation and collaboration applicable to individuals, families, groups, and systems, as well as methods to promote effective implementation of services.
• As part of a systematic and comprehensive process of effective decision making and problem-solving that permeates all aspects of service delivery, school psychologists demonstrate skills to consult, collaborate, and communicate effectively with others.

Academic Interventions and Instructional Supports

• School psychologists understand the biological, cultural, and social influences on academic skills; human learning, cognitive, and developmental processes; and evidence-based curricula and instructional strategies.
• School psychologists, in collaboration with others, use assessment and data collection methods to implement and evaluate services that support academic skill development in children.

Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions

• School psychologists understand the biological, cultural, developmental, and social influences on mental and behavioral health; behavioral and emotional impacts on learning; and evidence-based strategies to promote social–emotional functioning.

School-Wide Practices to Promote Learning

• School psychologists understand systems’ structures, organization, and theory; general and special education programming; implementation science; and evidence-based school-wide practices that promote learning, positive behavior, and mental health.
• School psychologists, in collaboration with others, develop and implement practices and strategies to create and maintain safe, effective, and supportive learning environments for students and school staff.

Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools

• School psychologists understand principles and research related to social–emotional well-being, resilience, and risk factors in learning, mental and behavioral health, services in schools and communities to support multitiered prevention and health promotion, and evidence-based strategies for creating safe and supportive schools.
• School psychologists, in collaboration with others, promote preventive and responsive services that enhance learning, mental and behavioral health, and psychological and physical safety and implement effective crisis prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.

Family, School, and Community Collaboration

• School psychologists understand principles and research related to family systems, strengths, needs, and cultures; evidence-based strategies to support positive family influences on children’s learning and mental health; and strategies to develop collaboration between families and schools.
• School psychologists, in collaboration with others, design, implement, and evaluate services that respond to culture and context.
• School psychologists facilitate family and school partnerships and interactions with community agencies to enhance academic and social–behavioral outcomes for children.

Equitable Practices for Diverse Student Populations

• School psychologists have knowledge of, and inherent respect for, individual differences, abilities, disabilities, and other diverse characteristics and the effects they have on development and learning. They also understand principles and research related to diversity in children, families, schools, and communities, including factors related to child development, religion, culture and cultural identity, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, and other variables.
• School psychologists implement evidence-based strategies to enhance services in both general and special education and to address potential influences related to diversity.
• School psychologists demonstrate skills to provide professional services that promote effective functioning for individuals, families, and schools with diverse characteristics, cultures, and backgrounds through an ecological lens across multiple contexts.
• School psychologists recognize that equitable practices for diverse student populations, respect for diversity in development and learning, and advocacy for social justice are foundational to effective service delivery. While equality ensures that all children have the same access to general and special educational opportunities, equity ensures that each student receives what they need to benefit from these opportunities.

Research and Evidence-Based Practice

• School psychologists have knowledge of research design, statistics, measurement, and varied data collection and analysis techniques sufficient for understanding research, interpreting data, and evaluating programs in applied settings.
• As scientist practitioners, school psychologists evaluate and apply research as a foundation for service delivery and, in collaboration with others, use various techniques and technology resources for data collection, measurement, and analysis to support effective practices at the individual, group, and/or systems levels.

Applied Psychology (MS)

Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the areas of:

Applying psychological principles

• Students can apply psychological theories and principles to real-world situations.

Research methods

• Students can identify and use quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Data analysis

• Students can compute, interpret, and present data analysis.

Writing

• Students can write summaries of research and hypotheses for research projects.

Ethical standards

• Students can evaluate ethical standards in different environments and social systems

Cultural competence

• Students can advance cultural competence by proposing socially responsible solutions.

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Counseling Psychology (MSCP)

Students will learn how to:

Apply Diagnostic Statistical Manual

• Students assess, diagnose, and treat depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other clinical disorders as outlined in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5)

Apply clinical skills

• Students function as clinicians and apply clinical skills that reflect current evidence-based practices in psychotherapy with individuals, groups, and families

Follow ethical and multicultural guidelines

• Students practice psychotherapy according to ethical and multicultural guidelines

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Counseling Psychology (PhD)

• Demonstrate knowledge of professional role requirements of counseling psychology as mandated by APA. These include: legal and ethical issues within an ecological framework; the history of counseling psychology; licensure requirements; and professional development requirements. [Professional Core, Year 1]
• Demonstrate foundational clinical practices in psychotherapy and clinical assessment based on current scientific practices.
• Knowledge mastery in the following [Basic Core, Year 1]:
  • Knowledge of biological, cognitive and affective, and social aspects of behavior;
  • Knowledge of the history and systems of psychology;
  • Knowledge of empirical research regarding effective clinical practice, assessment, and interventions;
  • Knowledge of contemporary theories that explicate human behavior across the lifespan;
  • Knowledge of social influences in organizational and ecological contexts
  • Knowledge regarding implementation of evidence-based clinical interventions with diverse populations.
• Apply advanced clinical techniques in counseling psychology. Based on personality and cognitive assessments [Clinical Core, Year 1]
• Contribute to scientific research using advanced and applied research skills within an ecological perspective. Will include [Research Core, Year 1]:
  • Knowledge of advanced research methods
  • Proficient reporting of research findings
  • Development of collaborative research skills
  • Knowledge of IRB processes
  • Critically evaluate research from an ecological perspective
• Effectively teach psychological concepts to others through roles such as teaching assistant, guest lecturer, Instructor of Record, and/or presenter in scientific or professional settings. [Professional Core, Years 3 & 4]
• Demonstrate knowledge of advanced clinical practices in psychotherapy and clinical assessment based on current scientific practices. [Basic Core, Years 2 & 3]
• Apply advanced clinical techniques in counseling psychology. Based on: Treatment strategies with diverse populations, Advanced psychological testing skills, Leadership, consultation and supervision skills [Clinical Core, Year 2]
• Produce scientific research using advanced and applied research skills within an ecological perspective. [Research Core, Years 2, 3, & 4]
• Exhibit professional role requirements of counseling psychology as mandated by APA. [Professional Core, Years 3, 4 & 5]
• Apply advanced clinical techniques in counseling psychology. Based on treatment strategies with diverse populations and advanced psychological testing skills [Clinical Core, Year 3]
• Integrate and apply advanced clinical competencies in counseling psychology across a variety of settings, with an emphasis on culturally responsive, evidence-based interventions. [Clinical Core, Year 4 or 5 

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School Psychology (PhD)

Students will demonstrate knowledge of:

• History and Systems of Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Affective Aspects of Behavior
• Biological Aspects of Behavior
• Cognitive Aspects of Behavior
• Developmental Aspects of Behavior
• Social Aspects of Behavior
• Advanced Integrative Knowledge of Basic Discipline-Specific Content Areas
• Research Methods
• Statistical Analysis

Competency – Research

• Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects) that are of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base.
• Conduct research or other scholarly activities.
• Critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local (including the host institution), regional, or national level.

Competency – Ethical and Legal Standards

• Be knowledgeable of and act in accordance with each of the following:
  • the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct;
  • Relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels;
  • and Relevant professional standards and guidelines.
• Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise, and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.
• Conduct self in an ethical manner in all professional activities.

Competency – Individual & Cultural Diversity

• An understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves.
• Knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service.
• The ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). This includes the ability apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.
• Demonstrate the requisite knowledge base, ability to articulate an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups, and apply this approach effectively in their professional work.

Competency – Professional Values, Attitudes & Behaviors

• Behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others
• Engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness.
• Actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
• Respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence as they progress across levels of training.

Competency – Communications & Interpersonal Skills

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services.
• Produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts.
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well.

Competency – Assessment

• Demonstrate current knowledge of diagnostic classification systems, functional and dysfunctional behaviors, including consideration of client strengths and psychopathology.
• Demonstrate understanding of human behavior within its context (e.g., family, social, societal and cultural).
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge of functional and dysfunctional behaviors including context to the assessment and/or diagnostic process.
• Select and apply assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical literature and that reflect the science of measurement and psychometrics; collect relevant data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions of the assessment as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient.
• Interpret assessment results, following current research and professional standards and guidelines, to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, while guarding against decision-making biases, distinguishing the aspects of assessment that are subjective from those that are objective.
• Communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the assessment in an accurate and effective manner sensitive to a range of audiences.

Competency – Intervention

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services.
• Develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals.
• Implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision making.
• Modify and adapt evidence-based approaches effectively when a clear evidence-base is lacking.
• Evaluate intervention effectiveness, and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation.

Competency – Supervision

• Demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and practices.

Competency – Consultation & Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills

• Demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions.
• Demonstrates knowledge of consultation models and practices.

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College Student Development and Counseling Program

Upon completion of the program graduates will:

• Capable of assisting and supporting independent, new research projects related to human movement and rehabilitation sciences.

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The Department of Applied Psychology is committed to upholding Northeastern University’s Policy on Equal Opportunity, which prohibits discrimination and retaliation on the basis of protected categories.

We strive to create a diverse, inclusive community and do not tolerate discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran or active military status, genetic information, or any other protected category.