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Michael J. Passage, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Director, Applied Behavior Analysis Program; Assistant Clinical Professor
School of Social Work

Office Hours

Mondays, 2-4 p.m. (Additional times available by appointment; in person and via Zoom)

Courses Taught

ABA/SWRK 5746: Principles and Concepts in Behavior Analysis ABA/SWRK 5748: Behavior Change and Process ABA 5002: Philosophy of Behavioral Science Capstone and Thesis Research

Education

  • Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis, Florida Institute of Technology
  • M.S.Ed., Temple University
  • B.A., University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst – Doctoral (BCBA-D)

Practice Areas

  • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
  • Self-Control and Delay Discounting Interventions
  • Cultural and Systems-Level Behavior Change
  • Ethical Decision-Making and Professional Conduct
  • Graduate Training and Research Supervision

Research Interests

Dr. Passage’s research program examines self-control, cooperation, and cultural selection across individual and group levels of analysis. His work integrates experimental and applied methodologies to analyze how environmental contingencies shape ethical decision-making and socially significant behavior. Grounded in radical behaviorism as a philosophy of science, his scholarship bridges conceptual analysis with translational research to address complex social and behavioral challenges.

Publications and Media Placements

  • Gadaire, D. M., Senn, L., Albert, K. M., Robinson, T. P., PASSAGE, M., Shaham, Y., & Topmouglu, B. (2021). Differential effects of token production and exchange on responding of children with developmental disabilities. Learning and Motivation, 73, 101694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101694
  • PASSAGE, M., Tincani, M., & Hantula, D. A. (2012). Teaching self-control with qualitatively different reinforcers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45(4), 853–857. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2012.45-853
  • Hedroj, Z., PASSAGE, M. & Rey, C. Teaching children with autism spectrum disorder to identify and respond to deceptive statements. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
  • Hussain-Passage, K., Nicholson, K., PASSAGE, M., Rajagopal, S. & Day-Watkins, J. Leveraging stimulus equivalence to teach piano to children with autism. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior.

Honors and Awards

The Behavior Change for a Sustainable World Research Award, Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA), 2019

Professional Organizations and Associations

  • Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)
  • Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA)
  • Missouri Association for Behavior Analysis

Community Work and Service

  • Planner, Behaviorists for Social Responsibility Special Interest Group (ABAI)
  • Interim Board Member, Theory and Philosophy Special Interest Group (ABAI)
  • Graduate student mentorship and research lab leadership
  • Program development, assessment, and accreditation initiatives