Translational Research in Behavior Analysis: Historical Traditions and Imperative for the Future

Abstract

"Pure basic" science can become detached from the natural world that it is supposed to explain. "Pure applied" work can become detached from fundamental processes that shape the world it is supposed to improve. Neither demands the intellectual support of a broad scholarly community or the material support of society. Translational research can do better by seeking innovation in theory or practice through the synthesis of basic and applied questions, literatures, and methods. Although translational thinking has always occurred in behavior analysis, progress often has been constrained by a functional separation of basic and applied communities. A review of translational traditions in behavior analysis suggests that innovation is most likely when individuals with basic and applied expertise collaborate. Such innovation may have to accelerate for behavior analysis to be taken seriously as a general-purpose science of behavior. We discuss the need for better coordination between the basic and applied sectors, and argue that such coordination compromises neither while benefiting both.

Quantitative analysis of local-level resurgence

“…Moreover, each method has been used to represent an environmental condition influencing the likelihood of treatment relapse in clinical situations. Therefore, findings from basic research using animal models are useful for understanding how fundamental behavioral processes underlie relapse of problem behavior, ranging from substance abuse to self-injury (see Mace & Critchfield, 2010;Pritchard, Hoerger, Mace, Penney, & Harris, 2014).…”

Does Hearing About Cancer Influence Stimulus Control? An Exploratory Study of Verbal Modulation of Stimulus Generalization

“…The tools and principles of behavior analysis have only just begun to be employed toward determining how to establish effective repertoires of melanoma symptom detection. Before useful interventions can be developed, translational research (Mace & Critchfield, 2010) is needed to determine the behavioral processes that are involved. The needed research would have an obvious applied focus but would also have theoretical relevance.…”

The aesthetics of intervention in defense of the esoteric

“…Is collaboration crucial? Mace and Critchfield (2010) suggested that ''innovation is most likely when individuals with basic and applied expertise collaborate'' (p. 293). However, the same authors also note that collaborative efforts between basic and applied researchers ''remain, at best, occasional, and nearly always unidirectional, with applied researchers recruiting basic-research expertise as a means of promoting better applied technologies'' (p. 304).…”

“…The topic papers say that someone else is you and someday is as soon as you can figure out how this benefits the problems you address. Mace and Critchfield (2010) suggested that, ''when not forced to consider the everyday relevance of their investigations, basic scientists may not develop the skills needed to explain the practical significance of their research'' (p. 295). Authors of those topic articles were asked to consider exactly that sort of relevance, and applied researchers noticed.…”