Humane Solutions Through Behavioral Technology

Editors:
H. S. Pennypacker, University of Florida
Murray Sidman, New England Center for Children

ISSN 1532-9518
Published by the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies

Current Online Articles

Table of Contents of Back Issues

Statement of Purpose

The development and transfer of effective behavioral technologies is still very much in its infancy. One reason for this is that there does not exist a medium of communication and recognition for those whose work is progressing in this direction. There is surely no shortage of candidate technologies. Work is in progress on behavioral technologies that have been and are being applied in such areas as industrial safety, industrial behavior management, developmental problems like retardation and autism, prisons and other areas of law enforcement, drug addiction, feeding problems, education at all grade levels, inner-city schools, the training of pets and other animals–both at home and in zoos, instructional techniques, job training, interpersonal and international violence, international relations, medical problems that are largely behavioral problems (e.g., self-examination for breast cancer, self-evaluation of the need for insulin and self-administration of insulin, the “white-coat syndrome,” patients' adherence to treatment regimens and drug prescriptions–in general, the field of behavioral medicine), sensory evaluation (especially visual and auditory thresholds with nonverbal patients), the kinds of “mental problems” that psychiatrists and traditional clinical psychologists deal with, the training of athletes (also, of race horses), the training of musical performers, and the development of special devices to facilitate performance by people who are handicapped. Surely additional areas will emerge as news of our venture becomes more widely disseminated.

More mature disciplines, such as engineering, have a variety of publications, some refereed, that serve to assist the technology transfer process by allowing contributors to document their accomplishments. Several audiences are served by these publications. These include workers in related fields, representatives of industry, government and the military, and the financial community, including potential investors. Perhaps our most important audience is the general public whom we intend to reach with the help of selected members of the mass media. Bringing technological advances to the attention of this diverse group ultimately facilitates the transfer process, thereby strengthening the contribution of the discipline to the culture

By publishing Behavioral Technology Today, we propose to establish such a medium of communication for the discipline of behavior analysis.

Content of Behavioral Technology Today

Following is a brief description of the "Departments" envisioned for Behavioral Technology Today:

• Contributed articles. These will be descriptive reports of technological activities. To be accepted, they must present evidence that standards of quantification, reproducibility, and verifiability (Pennypacker & Hench, 1998) have been met. Special emphasis will be placed on mechanisms that assure adherence to standards of quality such as licensing, franchising, and certification. Additionally, they should contain a statement of benefit to the culture at large should the technology be transferred and applied on a large scale.
• Invited articles. We envision some longer contributions, probably invited, which will provide examples of development and transfer of behavioral technologies. These will likely take the form of historical narratives and will serve as models for others to follow or improve upon. Again, emphasis will be placed on quality assurance.
• Certified technologies. We envision a process of certification whereby the Center will certify as exemplary technologies meeting certain standards (yet to be established). Each issue of the publication will present a brief listing of these, including the information necessary to participate in the transfer.
• Forum (Q&A). This section will allow readers to exchange ideas and information regarding behavioral technology and transfer. It may interact with the behav-an page; exchanges initially appearing there might be reproduced here.
• Marketplace. This section will serve as a sort of classified advertising section designed to bring together individuals from the various audiences listed in the Statement of Purpose. For example, venture capitalists looking for innovative ideas in highway safety might register this interest here, hoping to stimulate a response from the likes of Ron Van Houten. Similarly, behavior analysts with ongoing technological activities might use this section to solicit interest on the part of customers/investors. This section may evolve into an interactive discussion area.
• Intellectual property. This section will require contributions by attorneys and will serve two functions: First, to acquaint readers with the importance and mechanisms of intellectual property protection, and second, to announce changes in the law with respect to this important area. For example, what changes in copyright protection are resulting from the emergence of the internet? This section will quite possibly take on a Q&A format, at least on occasion.

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The first Behavioral Technology Today article is now online...