History of Behavior Analysis
Contact Info
- Ed Morris
- Lawrence, KS
- Phone: (785) 864-0519
- Fax: (785) 864-5202
Mission/Objectives
Our aim is to advance behavior analysis, nationally and internationally, through knowledge and an understanding of its history. Our mission is to advance that knowledge and understanding. Our objectives are to a) cultivate and nurture, b) enrich and improve, and c) communicate and disseminate the field’s history. Our audience includes behavior analysts, other scientists and humanists, and the public at large.
Description of Membership
Our membership is open to anyone interested in the SIG’s aim, mission, or objectives. This includes members of ABAI and other behavior analytic organizations (e.g., APA Division 25, the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, the B. F. Skinner Foundation), as well as members of organizations outside of behavior analysis (e.g., the Society for the History of Psychology, Cheiron, the History of Science Society) and independent scholars. The SIG’s members need not be members of ABAI.
Annual or Recurring Events
Right now, our activities are restricted to establishing a listserv and holding an annual business meeting at the ABAI conferences. In the future, we hope to have an annual HoBA symposium for the ABAI meetings. Beyond that, we may pursue a host of projects, for instance, a HoBA awards program, a website with links to websites containing material on the history of behavior analysis (e.g., the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, the B. F. Skinner Foundation) and other archival resources (e.g., Archives for the History of American Psychology, Harvard University Archives), and relations with other history of science organizations (e.g., Society for the History of Psychology, History of Science Society).
Newsletters/Publications
Our members will exchange information, publications, and relevant website addresses through a HoBA listserv.
Specifically of Interest to Behavior Analysts
Our purview is the field’s long past, short history, and recent origins, both internal and external. Internal history includes the field’s research methods, sciences, conceptual systems, philosophies, professions, and institutions, as well as its scientists, scholars, and professionals. Its external history includes the field’s historical, social, and cultural contexts.