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Beth Sulzer-Azaroff

Beth Sulzer-Azaroff was a psychologist and pioneering figure in the field of behavior analysis. She conducted research on organizational behavior management and promoted the use of applied behavior analysis for teaching children with autism. The Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences noted her contributions as "instrumental in translating findings from the basic behavior analytic laboratory to the applied setting, from the classroom to the factory."

Biography
Sulzer-Azaroff grew up in Washington Heights, New York City. From the time she was a child, she knew she wanted to be a teacher. Though her family could not afford to pay for college, the City University of New York funded free colleges at the time. Sulzer-Azaroff completed her B.S. degree in elementary education and teaching (1946–1950), and her M.A. degree in elementary education and teaching (1950–1953) at City College of New York. She subsequently attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota (1961–1966), where she obtained her masters/Ph.D. in psychology. Sulzer-Azaroff taught educational psychology for 5 years (1966–1972) as an associate professor at Southern Illinois University. She then moved to the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1973–1992), where she held the position of professor of psychology, and she taught applied behavior analysis, organizational behavior management, educational psychology, and other courses. Sulzer-Azaroff served as the president of the ABAI (1981–1982) and was the first woman to hold that position. Sulzer-Azaroff also served as president of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 25, and the Berkshire Association for Behavioral Analysis. Sulzer-Azaroff was married to psychologist Edward Sulzer from 1955 until his death in 1970. They had three children together. She was married to Leonid Azaroff from 1972 until his death in 2014. Sulzer-Azaroff died on February 26, 2022, in Naples, Florida. == Research ==
Research
Sulzer-Azaroff and her colleague G. Roy Mayer wrote a series of texts on behavior analysis, which covered fundamental techniques and strategies for promoting behavior change. Behavior analysis can be implemented with varying degrees of skill and responsibility. Responsible behavior analysts must know how to select goals, objectives, measures, and procedures ethically and legally and how to use them appropriately. There were three targeted students that showed positive effects of this intervention. With Julie B. Schweitzer, Sulzer-Azaroff conducted research on self control in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They observed that boys with ADHD were more likely to choose rewards that they could get immediately, rather than wait for larger rewards. This preference was exacerbated when the boys were more active. In another study, the authors reported that children could learn to prefer the larger reward following training, which consisted of gradually increasing the durations of the delay interval over many sessions. With G. Roy Mayer, Tom Butterworth, and Mary Nafpaktitis, Sulzer-Azaroff designed a training and consultation program to address the problem of vandalism in school settings through staff development, aimed at creating a more positive school environment. == Books ==
Books
• Bony, A., & Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (2002). The pyramid approach to education in autism. Pyramid Educational Products. • Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1999). Who killed my daddy? A behavioral safety fable. Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. • Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Dyer, K., Dupont, S., & Soucy, D. (2012). Applying behavior analysis across the autism spectrum: A field guide for practitioners. Sloan Publishing, LLC. • Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1977). Applying behavior analysis procedures with children and youth. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. • Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1986). Achieving educational excellence: Using behavioral strategies. Holt Rinehart & Winston. • Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting change. Holt, Rinehart & Winston. == Representative publications ==
Representative publications
• Alavosius, M. P., & Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1986). The effects of performance feedback on the safety of client lifting and transfer. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 19(3), 261-267. • Alavosius, M. P., & Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1990). Acquisition and maintenance of health-care routines as a function of feedback density. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23(2), 151-162. • Babcock, R. A., Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Sanderson, M., & Scibak, J. (1992). Increasing nurses' use of feedback to promote infection-control practices in a head-injury treatment center. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25(3), 621-627. • Lifter, K., Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Anderson, S. R., & Cowdery, G. E. (1993). Teaching play activities to preschool children with disabilities: The importance of developmental considerations. Journal of Early Intervention, 17(2), 139-159. • Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Austin, J. (2000). Does BBS work? Behavior-based safety & injury reduction: A survey of the evidence. Professional Safety, 45(7), 19-24. ==References==
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