Winter is coming to the experimental analysis of behavior.

Abstract

The future of the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) is dire and, in its current form, its demise seems all but inevitable. Lack of academic jobs and, as a result, opportunities for training the next generation of EAB scholars provide the principle evidence that EAB will soon cease to exist. Future opportunities to pursue EAB likely depend upon more intentional and systematic integration with applied behavior analysis (ABA), as well as other applications (i.e., translational research), and in other fields (e.g., neuroscience).

Self‐ and cross‐citations in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior: 2004‐2018

“…Tying basic research to applied research, and when possible, the applied problems practitioners face is a straightforward way to heighten interest and aptitude. Third, greater interactions may breathe life back into the laboratories of basic researchers, who are finding it increasingly difficult to fund their research and keep running their labs (e.g., Bell, ; Mace & Critchfield, ). Applied behavior analysts may have insight into behavioral phenomena that basic researchers cannot readily access; for example, applied behavior analysts may have the opportunity to observe behavior across much longer spans of time.…”

“…Some authors suggest that findings from basic research, that is, the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB), can suggest new areas of application for ABA as well as improve existing applications (e.g., Mace & Critchfield, 2010;Rachlin, 2018;Wathen & Podlesnik, 2018). Others, however, propose that EAB in its present form is not especially relevant to ABA (e.g., Bell, 2018;Jarmolowicz, 2018).…”