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Romana Houmanfar's Profile Photo

Ramona A. Houmanfar

Professor of Psychology, Director of Behavior Analysis Program She/her/hers

Summary

Ramona Houmanfar is Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Behavior Analysis Program at the Â鶹ӳ»­. She currently serves as a trustee of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, Chair of the Organizational Behavior Management Section of Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, editorial board members of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, and Behavior & Social Issues, and Coordinator of the Publication Board at the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Dr. Houmanfar has served as the editor of Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, senior co-chair of the ABAI convention, Director of the Organizational Behavior Management Network, President of the Â鶹ӳ»­ Association for Behavior Analysis, and Co-Coordinator of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board at ABAI. 

Dr. Houmanfar’s expertise and interests in behavioral systems analysis, cultural behavior analysis, and contextual behavioral science have guided her conceptual work plus research associated with the analysis of verbal behavior (e.g., symbolic language, leadership communication, team communication), rule governance, value- based governance, and wellbeing in cultural groups including organizations.  She has published over 80 peer reviewed publications, and four co-edited books titled “Organizational Change” (Context Press), "Understanding Complexity in Organizations", “Leadership & Cultural Change (Taylor & Francis Group), and “Applied Behavior Science in Organization” (Taylor & Francis Group) sponsored by ABAI. Other accomplishments include being awarded Association for Behavior Analysis International, and Association for Contextual Behavioral Science Fellow designations.

Check out: Houmanfar, R. A., Fryling, M., Alavosius, M. P. (2021). . Taylor & Francis Group.

Research interests

  • Communication networks in behavioral systems analysis
  • Leadership communication
  • Rule governance
  • Value-based governance
  • Well-being in organizations
  • Implicit bias
  • Cooperation
  • Situational awareness

Courses taught

  • Behavioral Systems Analysis (PSY 769)
  • Behavior Management & Consultation (PSY 767)

Education

  • Ph.D., Psychology, Â鶹ӳ»­, 1998
  • M.A., Psychology, Â鶹ӳ»­, 1993

Selected publications

  • Houmanfar, R.A, Alavosius, M. A., Ghezzi, E. L., & Olla, R. (2024).  . The Psychological Record. 
  • Szarko, A.J., Houmanfar, R.A., Smith, G.S., Jacobs, N.N., Smith, B.M., Assemi, K., Piasecki, M., & Baker, T.K. (2022). . Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 23, 190-199 
  • Smith, G. S., Houmanfar, R. A., Jacobs, N. N., Froehlich, M., Szarko, A. J., Smith, B. M., Kemmelmeier, M., Baker, T. K., Piasecki, M. P., Schwenk, T. (2022). . Advances in Health Sciences Education.
  • Houmanfar, R. A., Szarko, A. (2021). . In Houmanfar R. A., Fryling M., Alavosius M. P. (Eds.) Applied Behavior Science in Organizations: Consilience of Historical and Emerging Trends in Organizational Behavior Management, (pp. 291-315). Taylor & Francis Group. 
  • Esquierdo-Leal, J. L., Houmanfar, R. A. (2021). . Behavior Analysis & Practice. 
  • Ardila Sánchez, J. G., Houmanfar, R. A., Fleming, W. (2020). . Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis, 46, 162 – 201.
  • Houmanfar, R. A., Ardila Sánchez, J. G., Alavosius, M. P. (2020). Role of cultural milieu in cultural change: mediating factor in points of contact. In T. Cihon, M. A. Mattaini (Eds.). Behavior Science Perspectives on Culture and Community (pp. 151-170). New York, NY: Springer.
  • Ghezzi, E. L., Houmanfar, R. A., Crosswell, L. (2020). . The Psychological Record, 70, 411–431. 
  • Anbro, S. J., Szarko, A. J., Houmanfar, R. A., Maraccini, A. M., Crosswell, L. H., Harris, F. C., Rebaleati, M., Starmer, L. (2020). . Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 40(1-2), 129-139. 
  • Al-Nasser, T., Burleigh, K. J., Ardila Sánchez, J. G., Houmanfar, R. A. (2019). Metacontingency and macrocontingency analysis related to honor crimes in the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan. Behavior and Social Issue, 28, 140-159.
  • Ardila Sánchez, J. G., Houmanfar, R. A., Alavosius, M. P. (2019). A descriptive analysis of the effects of weather disasters on community resilience. Behavior and Social Issues, 28, 298–315.
  • Lewon, M. P., Houmanfar, R. A., Hayes, L. J. (2019). The Will to Fight: Aversion-induced aggression and the role of motivation in intergroup conflicts. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 42, 889-910.
  • Houmanfar, R. A., Alavosius, M. P., Binder, C., Johnson, K. (2019). Human Competence Revisited: 40 Years of Impact. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 39, 1-16.
  • Rafacz, S., Houmanfar, R., Smith, G., Levin, M. (2018). . The Psychological Record, 69, 49-66. 
  • Maraccini, A. M., Houmanfar, R. A., Kemmelmeier, M., Piasecki, M., Slonim, A. E. (2018). An inter-professional approach to train and evaluate communication accuracy and completeness during the delivery of nurse-physician student handoffs. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 12, 65–72.
  • Reimer, D., Houmanfar, R. A. (2017). Internalities and Their Applicability for Organizational Practices. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 37, 5–31.
  • Brayko, C. A., Houmanfar, R. A., Ghezzi, E. L. (2016). Organized Cooperation: A behavioral perspective on volunteerism. Behavior and Social Issues, 25, 77-98.
  • Glenn, S. S., Malott, M. E., Andery, M. A. P. A., Houmanfar, R. A., Sandaker, I., Todorov, J. C., Tourinho, E. Z., Vasconcelos, L. A. (2016). Toward consistent terminology in a behaviorist approach to cultural analysis. Behavior and Social Issues, 25, 11-27.
  • Houmanfar, R. A., Mattaini, M. A. (2016). Leadership and cultural change: Implications for Behavior Analysis. The Behavior Analyst, 39(1), 41-46.
  • Maraccini, A. M., Houmanfar, R. A., Szarko, A. (2016). Motivation and complex verbal phenomena: Implications for organizational research and practice. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 36, 282-300.
  • Houmanfar, R., Alavosius, M. P., Morford, Z. H., Herbst, S. A., Reimer, D. (2015). Functions of Organizational Leaders in Cultural Change: Financial and Social Well-being. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 35, 4-27.
  • Brown, L., Houmanfar, R. (2015). The Cost of Affluence: A Closer Look at the Food Industry. Behavior and Social Issues, 24, 4-22.
  • Chase, J., Houmanfar, R., Hayes, S., Ward, T., Plumb, J., Follette, V. (2013). Values Are Not Just Goals: Online ACT-Based Values Training Adds to Goal Setting in Improving Undergraduate College Student Performance (2013). Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 2, 79-84.
  • Houmanfar, R., Rodrigues, N. J. (2012). The Role of Leadership and Communication in Organizational Change. Journal of Applied Radical Behavior Analysis. N1, 22–27. (Also accepted for publication in Psicologia Applicata alla Medicina del Lavoro e della Riabilitazione).
  • Houmanfar, R., Ward, T. A. (2012). Value Clarification & Perspective Taking in Effective Organizational Change Processes. Journal of Applied Radical Behavior Analysis. N1, 92-97.
  • Houmanfar, R., Ward, T. A. (2012). An Interdisciplinary Account of Martyrdom as a Religious Practice. Latin American Journal of Psychology, 44, 65-75.
  • Houmanfar, R. A., Rodrigues, N. J., Ward, T. A., (2010). Emergence & Metacontingency: Points of Contact and Departure. Behavior and Social Issues, 20.