James T. Todd

A photo of James Todd

Professor

Psychology

301A Science Complex

734.487.0376

[email protected]

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Kansas, May, 1990
  • MA, University of Kansas, May, 1986
  • BA, University of Kansas, May, 1981

Interests and Expertise

Much of my recent work involves the analysis of ineffective and pseudoscientific interventions for autism and other developmental disabilities, especially "facilitated communication" and "rapid prompting." I have served as an expert for the defense in cases involving false accusations of abuse arising from these methods. Most recently I was an expert witness for the prosecution in the Stubblefield assault case in New Jersey discussing the scientific evidence against the validity of facilitated communication. Some of my other interests and work are described below.

Basic research interests
  • The experimental analysis of the behavioral and physiological bases of schedule-induced responding and activity anorexia
Applied interests
  • Use of behavior modification to increase independent living skills of persons with severe multiple handicaps
  • Application of findings in extinction-induced and schedule-induced behavior to the intervention of aggression, tantrums, and similar behaviors in humans
  • Technical and electronic interventions for persons with handicaps
Theoretical interests
  • History and philosophy of radical behaviorism
  • The analysis of private events
  • The comparative analysis of scientific systems

Courses

  • PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology
  • PSY 301 Experimental Methodology in Psychology
  • PSY 304 Psychology of Learning
  • PSY 365 Behavior Modification
  • PSY 453 History and Systems of Psychology
  • PSY 620 Psychology of Learning
  • PSY 623 Experimental Analysis of Behavior
  • PSY 705 Clinical Ecological Psychology
  • COSC 105 Everyday Computing and Social Responsibility

Publications and Presentations

Books
  • Todd, J. T., and Morris, E. K. (Eds.). (1995). Modern perspectives on B. F. Skinner and radical behaviorism. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
  • Todd, J. T., and Morris, E. K. (Eds.). (1994). Modern perspectives on John B. Watson and classical behaviorism. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Chapters
  • Todd, J.T. (2015). Old horses in new stables: Rapid prompting, facilitated communication, science, ethics, and the history of magic. In R.M. Foxx and J.A. Mulick (Eds.). Controversial Therapies for Developmental Disabilities: Fad, Fashion, and Science in Professional Practice (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Routledge.
  • Todd, J.T., and Pietrowski, J. L. (2007). Animal models of exposure therapy: A selective review. In D. C. S. Richard and D. Lauterbach (Eds.), Handbook of Exposure Therapies. San Francisco, CA: Academic Press.
  • Morris, E. K. and Todd, J. T. (1998). Watsonian behaviorism. In W. O. Donohue and R. Kitchener (Eds.), Handbook of Behaviorism. New York: Academic Press.
  • Todd, J. T. (1996). A history of division 25 (experimental analysis of behavior). In D.A. Dewsbury (Ed.), Unification through division: Histories of the American Psychological Association. (pp. 157–193) Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Todd, J.T. (1994). What psychology has to say about John B. Watson: Classical behaviorism in psychology textbooks, 1920–1989. In J.T. Todd and E.K. Morris (Eds.). Modern perspectives on John B. Watson and classical behaviorism. (pp. 75–107). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Journal Articles
  • Lang, R., Tostanoski, A. H., Travers, J. T., and Todd, J.T. (2014). The only study investigating the rapid prompting method has serious methodological flaws but data suggest the most likely outcome is prompt dependency. Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 8(1), 40–48.
  • Lilienfeld, S.O., Marshall, J., Todd, J.T. and Shane, H.C. (2014). The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case example. Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 8(2), 62–101.
  • Todd, J.T. (2014). Some useful resources for students who are tempted to bring enlightenment to errant non-behaviorists. Behavior Analysis in Practice, (DOI) 10.1007/s40617-014-0027-y
  • Todd, J.T. (2012). The moral obligation to be empirical: Comments on Boynton's "Facilitated Communication—what harm it can do: Confessions of a former facilitator." Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 6(1), 36–57.
  • Gorman, B.J., Wynne, C.J., Morse, C.J., and Todd, J.T. (2011). Psychology and the law in the classroom: How the use of clinical fads in the classroom may awaken the educational malpractice claim. Brigham Young Education and Law Journal, 2011(1), 29–50.
  • Anson, H.M., Todd, J. T., and Cassaretto, K. J. (2008). Replacing overt verbal and gestural prompts with unobtrusive covert tactile prompts for students with autism. Behavior Research Methods. 40(4), 1106–1110.
  • Todd, J.T., Cunningham, L.A., Janes, A. A., Mendelson, J., and Morris, E.K. (1997). The generation and maintenance of schedule-induced polydipsia in normal male rats without weight reduction. Physiology and Behavior, 62, 1385–1390.
  • Todd, J.T. and Morris, E.K. (1993). Change and be ready to change again. American Psychologist, 48, 1158–1159.
  • Todd, J.T. and Morris, E.K. (1992). Case histories in the great power of steady misrepresentation. American Psychologist, 47, 1441–1453.
  • Todd, J.T., Morris, E.K., and Fenza, K.M. (1989). The temporal organization of extinction-induced responding in preschool children. Psychological Record, 39, 117–130.
  • Todd, J.T. (1987). The great power of steady misrepresentation: Behaviorism's presumed denial of instinct. Behavior Analyst, 10, 117–118.
  • Todd, J.T. (1987). "Learning by instinct": Comment. Scientific American, 256(4), 4.
  • Todd, J. T. and Morris, E. K. (1983). Misconception and miseducation: Presentations of radical behaviorism in psychology textbooks. Behavior Analyst, 6, 153–160.
Encyclopedia Articles
  • Todd, J.T. (2012). Rapid Prompting. [Extended encyclopedia article]. In F. Volkmar (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. London: Springer.
  • Todd, J. T., and Pietrowski, J. L. (2005). Schedule-induced behavior. In M. Hersen and J. Rosqvist (Eds.), In Encyclopedia of Behavior Modification and Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Applications, Vol. I: Adult Clinical Applications. (pp. 499–501). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Drayton, A. K., and Todd, J. T. (2005). O. Ivar Lovaas. In A. M. Gross and R.S. Drabman (Eds.), In Encyclopedia of Behavior Modification and Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Applications, Vol. 2: Adult Clinical Applications. (pp. 894–895). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Todd, J. T., and Sandor, K. J. (2005). B. F. Skinner. In A. M. Gross and R.S. Drabman (Eds.), In Encyclopedia of Behavior Modification and Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Applications, Vol. 2: Child Clinical Applications. (pp. 11036–1037). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Todd, J. T. (2005). John Broadus Watson. In A. M. Gross and R.S. Drabman (Eds.), In Encyclopedia of Behavior Modification and Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Applications, Vol. 2: Child Clinical Applications. (pp. 1092–1094). Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA.
  • Todd, J. T. (2003). John B. Watson; Pioneer Lifespan Developmental Psychologist. In P. Fass (Ed.), In Encyclopedia of the History of Childhood. New York: MacMillan
  • Todd, J. T. (2000). Biography of Albert Weiss. Oxford Companion to Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Interviews

  • Todd, J.T. (2010, Spring). Facilitate this: Part I of a two-part interview with Dr. James Todd. Science in Autism Treatment, 7(2), 1–8. [Written interview conducted by D. Celeberti]
  • Todd, J.T. (2010, Summer). Facilitate this: Part I of a two-part interview with Dr. James Todd. Science in Autism Treatment, 7(3), 16–18, 20–24. [Written interview conducted by D. Celeberti]
Television Appearances
  • Amazing Stories (Japan) Fuji TV, December, 2012. [Discussed "Ideomotor effect" in a episode on facilitated communication.]

Professional

  • I am the secretary/treasurer of the Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan (BAAM)
  • I do some work with computer based control and data collection for behavioral experiments

Additional Information

See also, the BAAM website.