Mapping the Evidence on Compassion Skills in Applied Behavior Analysis: A Scoping Review Protocol (Preprint)
Authors: Aleixo Daniele , Junior Martins de Souza Daiton , Regina Pedroso Vilela Torres Carvalho Stela , Regina Furlani Márcia , Canato Martins Cíntia , Roberto Santos Emerson , Daniel Souza Menezes João , Querino Silva Matheus , Maria Maciel Lopes Sônia , Almeida Arnaldo Silva Rodrigues Castro Natalia , Landim Gonçalves Cristóvão Helena , Ittavo Lamana Faria Josimerci , Maria Sabadoto Brienze Vânia , Regina Abreu Lima Alba , Silva Fucuta Patrícia , Cristina Móz Vaz Oliani Denise , Aparecida Micelli Domingues Neide , Cristina Oliveira Santos Miyazaki Maria , Maria Araújo Filho Gerardo , César André Júlio 
Published: September 2024

BACKGROUND

Compassion has been a topic of growing scientific interest, including in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). To improve socially relevant behaviors, it is essential to explore how behavior analysts can provide maximum support to clients and promote significant changes through compassionate care. Although compassion skills have been studied by ABA researchers, the literature still presents gaps.
Research question: "What has been widely published in the scientific literature about the compassion skills of the Behavior Analyst?"
Source of evidence: The electronic databases to be searched include Embase, Index Psicologia, Lilacs, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search strategy will use combinations of descriptors and their synonyms according to the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCs) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), using the PCC mnemonic (population, concept, and context), combined with the Boolean operators AND and OR.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review is to map, identify, and provide data available in the existing literature on compassion skills and applied behavior analysis.

METHODS

The framework of Arksey and O'Malley guides the design of this scoping review, and the elements reported use the recommended guidelines of the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews). The study will follow established methodological framework standards to provide a systematic approach to mapping existing literature and identifying knowledge gaps. The protocol has been registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) platform.

RESULTS

This scoping review is expected to provide:1. A comprehensive overview of the definitions and conceptualizations of compassion in the context of ABA.
2. A detailed mapping of specific compassionate skills reported in the ABA literature.
3. A synthesis of existing interventions or training programs for developing compassionate skills in behavior analysts.
4. An analysis of reported outcomes associated with compassionate practice in ABA.
5. An identification of barriers and facilitators for implementing compassionate practices in ABA.
6. Directions for future research and practice development in the area.

CONCLUSIONS

Expected Implications
The results of this scoping review have the potential to inform the development of compassion training programs for behavior analysts, improve clinical practices, and influence care policies in ABA. It is expected that the synthesis of existing evidence may highlight the importance of compassionate skills in ABA practice and promote a more holistic and client-centered approach.

Strengths and Limitations
A significant strength of this study is its comprehensiveness, including a wide range of study types and not being limited to a specific geographical context. This will allow a global view of compassionate practices in ABA. However, a potential limitation is the possibility of missing relevant studies due to differences in terminology or inadequate indexing. To mitigate this, a comprehensive search with varied terms and consultation with experts in the field will be conducted.