The convergence of behavioral biology and operant psychology: Toward an interlevel and interfield science

Behavioral biology and operant psychology have developed in parallel but separate paths since their origins in the 1930s. In the first three decades, both fields dealt with microscopic (or molecular) controlling variables and qualitative data. Since about 1960, both have primarily focused on macroscopic (or molar) controlling variables. Their shared interest in foraging in the 1980s suggests a limited convergence beween biologists and psychologists in data, methods, and theories. We draw on accounts of intertheoretic relations from the philosophy of science, including both interlevel theory and interfield theory, to understand this convergence. However, our greater emphasis on methods of data collection and analysis leads us to characterize the convergence as not only one of interfield theory but one of interfield science.     

An inexpensive automated system for the measurement of rotational behavior in small animals

A reliable, low-cost automated system for the quantification of rotational behavior from up to 10 subjects simultaneously is described. The system resolves quarter and full turns to the left and right, and can relay data to another computer for statistical analysis. The system is easily constructed from simple and inexpensive components, including the computer, that total less than $1,000 and can be used with a variety of different test chambers.     

A theory of appropriate statistics

A formal theory of appropriateness for statistical operations is presented which incorporates features of Stevens' theory of appropriate statistics and Suppes' theory of empirical meaningfulness. It is proposed that a statistic be regarded as appropriate relative to statements made about it in case the truths of these statements are invariant under permissible transformations of the measurement scale. It is argued that the use of inappropriate statistics leads to the formulation of statements which are either semantically meaning-less or empirically nonsignificant.This research was supported in part by each of the following grants: National Science Foundation Grant GS-333 to the University of Oregon; National Science Foundation Grant to the Institute of Human Learning, University of California, Berkeley; and National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH-08055-01 (under the direction of Ernest W. Adams), also to the Institute of Human Learning. Work on this project was carried out in part during Robert F. Fagot's tenure as Public Health Service Special Fellow (No. MSP-15800) at the University of California, Berkeley, 1962-63; and during Richard E. Robinson's tenure as National Science Foundation Science Faculty Fellow at Stanford University, 1962–63.     

School attainment,self-esteem,and identity: France and England

The Tajfel-Turner Theory of Social Identity was used as a framework from which it was predicted that pupils of low attainment in secondary school should come to define themselves as indifferent to or opposed to the values of their schools. This hypothesis was examined in France and England, on self-report measures covering values, aspirations, perceptions, evaluations, beliefs and motivations. While results show numerous differences between low and high attainers common to both countries, the differences are more pronounced in England. National differences are such that the French pupils are more like high attainers. Results are interpreted as being more consistent with low attaining pupils being victims of boredom rather than failure, with the French school culture providing greater insulation against such reactions.     

Psychotherapy for the treatment of depression: a comprehensive review of controlled outcome research

Previous quantitative reviews of research on the efficacy of psychotherapy for depression have included only a subset of the available research or limited their focus to a single outcome measure. The present review offers a more comprehensive quantitative integration of this literature. Using studies that compared psychotherapy with either no treatment or another form of treatment, this article assesses (a) the overall effectiveness of psychotherapy for depressed clients, (b) its effectiveness relative to pharmacotherapy, and (c) the clinical significance of treatment outcomes. Findings from the review confirm that depressed clients benefit substantially from psychotherapy, and these gains appear comparable to those observed with pharmacotherapy. Initial analysis suggested some differences in the efficacy of various types of treatment; however, once the influence of investigator allegiance was removed, there remained no evidence for the relative superiority of any 1 approach. In view of these results, the focus of future research should be less on differentiating among psychotherapies for depression than on identifying the factors responsible for improvement.     

Utilization and predicted trends of behavioral inventories

Published articles (N=1703) during the period 1975 to 1982 in three behavioral journals (Behavior Therapy, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, andJournal of Applied Behavior Analysis) were reviewed for the utilization of preintervention and categories of behavioral inventories. Results revealed that (a) the three forms of the Fear Survey Schedule (FSS) and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS) were the most utilized traditional behavioral measures, (b) new self-developed inventories were reported with significantly (p<.05) different frequencies across the three journals, (c) numerous published inventories beyond the traditional FSS and SADS were reported, and (d) an expanded use of IQ measures in preintervention behavioral assessment was also found. Trends regarding the nature of behavioral inventories among the three journals and a discussion on advances in behavioral assessments are presented.