Join Mary Hunter and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz in July 2025 as we take a deep dive to look at the power of cues. During four sessions, we’ll explore how cues guide behavior, why poisoned cues occur, and what creates strong behavior. This course will give you new ideas for creating reliable behavior, whether you are teaching new cues or cleaning up existing cues.
Course structure
Virtual sessions: Join us for four virtual sessions on July 17, July 24, August 7, and August 14.
Each session will be held on a Thursday afternoon from 1:30–3:30 pm Central Time.
In these sessions, we will cover essential concepts and case studies, and also have time for questions.
Course platform & recordings: Can’t join us live? You will be able to access a recording of each session in the course platform.
You will have access to additional activities, handouts, and resources in the course platform. You will also be able to ask questions in the course platform.
You will have access to the course platform and recordings until February 28, 2026.
Course pricing:
Early registration (before June 20): $225
Regular registration: $265
Student/scholarship registration: $125
A limited number of reduced-price registrations are available. These registrations are for students or for other participants with financial need. Please contact us.
Continuing education credits (CEUs)
CEUs are pending. We are currently applying for CEUs. For past events, we have been able to offer CEUs for BACB, CCPDT, IAABC, IATCB, and KPA.
CEU quizzes must be completed by November 15, 2025.
What will you learn in this course?
Session 1: How cues and context control behavior
Many times, we are creating new cues and changing existing cues without even realizing it. This session will introduce you to some basic ideas and some more advanced ideas related to how cues develop and how cues guide behavior. The concepts we discuss in this session will help set the stage and guide us as we continue through the rest of the course.
Session 2: Poisoned cues (and how to fix them)
In this session, we’ll take an in-depth look at the topic of poisoned cues. What is a poisoned cue? How does a poisoned cue disrupt behavior? And, if you have a poisoned cue, how do you repair it? Research examples and case studies will be used to help you understand how to identify and fix poisoned cues.
Session 3: Behavior has no strength
Common knowledge tells us that reinforcement strengthens behavior. But, does it? What does it mean for a behavior to get “stronger”? And, why are some behaviors so resistant to change? We’ll look at some modern views that can help us understand how to create strong behavior. These ideas will help improve your teaching, whether you are building new behaviors or repairing existing behaviors and cues.
Session 4: Question and Answer
Our final session will be a question and answer session. We will dive even deeper into the themes discussed in the first three sessions. In addition, we may look at additional examples and case studies.
This schedule is subject to change.
Learning objectives for each session will be posted in mid-May.
Course instructors
Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz is an associate professor in the Behavior Analysis Department at the University of North Texas, where he has worked since 1994. He received his Ph.D. in Experimental Child Psychology from the University of Kansas, where he studied under Dr. Donald M. Baer and Dr. Ogden R. Lindsley. Since 2020, he has served as the director of the Beatrice H. Barrett Behavior Analytic Neuroscience Initiative at the University of North Texas.
Among his many significant contributions to behavior analysis is the behavioral development cusp, introduced in 1996 together with Dr. Baer. This groundbreaking work provides a behavior analytic account of the rapid changes that are often considered developmental and offers practitioners guidance when selecting target behaviors. Additionally, Dr. Rosales-Ruiz has been at the forefront of bringing the science of behavior to the growing field of human-animal interactions. His work on functional analysis and shaping has helped bridge the gap between academia and applied animal training. He is also the co-creator of PORTL, the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab, a tabletop game which allows students and practitioners to experience behavioral principles and practice their teaching skills. Dr. Rosales-Ruiz is a fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and of the Eastern Psychological Association.
Mary Hunter, M.S. earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas. Mary’s business, Behavior Explorer, offers educational courses and programs for individuals interested in the science of behavior. In addition, she teaches as an adjunct instructor in the behavior analysis department at the University of North Texas. In 2019, Mary and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz published their first book, PORTL: The Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab.
Mary’s research interests include studying the process of shaping and finding better ways to teach people and animals. Her master’s thesis, which examined the effects of a single reinforcer during shaping, was published in 2019 in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. She is a full member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and has presented her research at the organization’s annual convention.
Frequently asked questions
I’m really interested, but I’m not sure if this course is for me. How can I learn more?
Please contact us with your questions!
We would be happy to talk to you about whether this course would be a good fit for you.
What is your refund policy?
A complete refund (less a $50 processing fee) will be available if requested on or before July 16, 2025. No refunds will be available after this date.