Garcia-Zambrano Lab

Perspective Lab

In everyday life, individuals are consistently exposed to social situations that demand an understanding of others' perspectives. This ability, referred to as Perspective-taking (PT) skills, starts its development in early infancy (Baron-Cohen et al., 1994) and it is considered as one of the cornerstones of social interaction and communication within a verbal community (e.g., Howlin et al., 1999). Behavioral protocols for PT skills have proven to be effective, typically involving instructions, modeling of correct responses, prompting procedures, and the delivery of differential reinforcement. My research goal is to identify the components that lead to efficient and effective learning of PT skills, all while enhancing the ecological validity of these protocols. To meet this goal, I have created behavioral tasks to evaluate the role of both direct contingencies and derived relational responding on PT skills in children and adults.

Core Research Areas

1. Development of Perspective-Taking Skills - Developing methods to promote perspective-taking skills, particularly in youth and clinical populations.
2. Behavioral Services for Underserved Communities - Designing and evaluating behavioral interventions adapted to resource-limited populations.
3. Family-Centered Behavioral Protocols - Creating compassionate behavioral interventions for families, with a focus on accessibility and effectiveness.
4. Training & Dissemination - Providing training for students, clinicians, and organizations on culturally competent behavioral practice.

Why is this important?

During my time as a behavioral practitioner, I found that many of my clients faced difficulties in situations requiring PT skills. I implemented several strategies, including modeling, prompting procedures, and the McHugh et al. (2004) protocol, to promote these skills. However, the progress we achieved was limited to the therapeutic setting, and the clients continued to encounter difficulties when attempting to apply these skills in their daily social interactions. These challenges sparked my interest in PT skills and subsequently led me to pursue research along three areas: the development of assessment protocols for PT skills, the design of behavioral interventions to enhance PT skills, and the development of cultural adaptations to facilitate the acquisition of PT skills in behavioral practitioners.

Lab members

Sebastian Garcia-Zambrano

My name is Sebastian Garcia-Zambrano, I am a Colombian researcher in the U.S. My academic training includes a Ph.D. degree in psychology in 2022, an M.S. degree in behavior analysis and therapy in 2018, both from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and a B.S. degree in psychology in 2011 from Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz (Colombia). In addition, I have been regularly invited to conduct peer review for journals, organizations, and conferences in the field, including “The Psychological Record,” “Behavior Analysis in Practice,” and the “American Psychological Association”. Currently, I am one of the Guest Editors for the special issue “Impactful Leaders - Latin American Women in Behavior Analysis” in Behavior Analysis in Practice”, in which we highlight women’s contributions and encourage cross-national and cross-cultural collaboration among behavior analysts.

Saundra Boland

My name is Saundra Boland, and I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education as well as a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. With over 10 years of experience in the field of education, I have dedicated my career to creating positive learning environments and supporting both students and staff through evidence-based practices.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending quality time with my family, hiking, and swimming. Balancing my personal and professional interests allows me to bring creativity, dedication, and perspective into the work I do every day.