Planning for the Role of Behavioral Science in National Research William A. Yost Parmly Sensory Sciences Institute Loyola University Chicago.

Planning for the Role of Behavioral Science in National

Research

William A. Yost

Parmly Sensory Sciences Institute

Loyola University Chicago

OR: We Don’t Get No Respect!

What can the behavioral sciences do to gain more

respect?

We Don’t Get No Respect!

The Behavioral Sciences have always had to battle to gain respect, e.g., in the 80’s the political right held that the behavioral and social sciences were responsible for the failed welfare system leading to President Reagan zeroing the Behavioral Science’s budgets at NSF.

Today, the Behavioral Sciences do not appear to have risen above the GatheringStorm (“Rising Above the Gathering Storm;” NAS Report).” There appears to be little “B (Behavioral Sciences)” in STEM, the Behavioral Sciences are conspicuously absent from Bush’s American Competitive Initiative, and the Behavioral Sciences are but a small destination on NIH’s Roadmap.

Again, the Behavioral Sciences have their work cut out for them if they want a bigger share of the Federal research budget.

At times we don’t help ourselves within science and with society

The study of the behavior of an individual and the application of the knowledge gain

from this study is far ranging

The behavioral sciences could use an “umbrella” organization like AIP or FASEB to present an integrated view of and provideadvocacy for the behavioral sciences

NIH is not the only game in town

The largest share of the Federal support for Behavioral Sciences research comes from NIH, and almost all of the NIH Institutes support some form of behavioral research; some a great deal more than I believe many realize.

HOWEVER, there are many other Federal Agencies that support behavioral research: NSF, DoEd, DOD (AFOSR, ONR, DARPA), and the VA to name just a few.

Thus, a national plan to improve funding for behavioral research should pay attention to all of the Federal Agencies that support behavioral research. It would be nice if there existed an “inventory” of what each agency supportedin terms of the Behavioral Sciences.

And, science in the United States is more and more being done by non-US scientists. How will this influence US science funding?

R&D Funding by Agencies with theLargest Budgets

The Molecular Biology Juggernaut

Systems Neuroscience has a hard time competing with Cellular and MolecularNeuroscience for funding and societal attention.

Systems scientists including most Behavioral Scientists seem to embrace the role of both nature and nurture, but many molecular scientists appear to have a low regard for the role of nature.

Even if funding for science stay constant, Behavioral Science is likely to loose ground unless and until Systems and Behavioral Science can demonstrate the relevance of this approach to answering crucial questions.

Isn’t Behavioral Science an Oxymoron?

What can Behavioral Sciences do for me?

The Behavioral Sciences must do a better job of demonstrating their relevance in meeting the challenges of the 21st century.

The Behavioral Sciences need to work together to formulate and promote a strategy for demonstrating the relevance of the Behavioral Sciences.

For instance, more could be done to make the point that the major cause of mortality and morbidity is maladaptive behavior, education reform is behavioral reform, understanding our economy is largely about understanding behavior, crime is criminal behavior, the causes of war are usually based on behavior like hate, etc.

I can’t understand science, sohow do I know what to believe,

and why should I care?

Distrust of science, apathy toward science, and science illiteracy hurt all of thesciences, but maybe the Behavioral Sciences the most.

Of all of the sciences the Behavioral Sciences have the research tools to better understand the correlates and causes of the public’s scientific distrust, apathy, and illiteracy and their interactions.

In a world in which resources are becoming scarce, the Behavioral Sciences need to know how to convince the public of the value of providing resources to the Behavioral Sciences.

I can’t understand science, sohow do I know what to believe, and

why should I care?

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Three "Scientific" Questions

The continents or the land masseson which we live have been movingfor millions of years and will continue to move in the future

The earliest humans lived at thesame time as the dinosaurs

Antibiotics kill viruses as well asbacteria

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I can’t understand science, sohow do I know what to believe, and why

should I care?

Learn how to draw conclusions from evidence

Prepare for college or a career

To learn how to think critically

Gain a broad knowledge of the natural andtechnological world

Learn how sciences is conducted

Learn about the real world, such as how antibioticswork

Explore moral and ethical questions related toscience and technology

Understand the origin and diversity of life on earth, including evolution.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF A SCIENCE EDUCATION?

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Some Things That Might Be Done to Improve Funding for the Behavioral Sciences

1) Behavioral Scientists of all sorts need to work better together to present the importance and relevance of the behavioral approach to solving problems. One way this could be done is via a strong consortium/federation of Behavioral Science organizations.

2) Behavioral Scientists receive research support from almost all of the FederalAgencies that support research. Increased funding in all agencies is important. It could help if there were some form of an inter-agency group that dealtwith (coordinated) Behavioral Sciences research, somewhat along the lines of OBSSR at NIH.

3) Advancing knowledge will be less than it could be if systems approaches (including behavioral approaches) are under funded relative to molecular approaches. Translational research can be as much about basic systemsapplication as it can be about basic molecular applications. I would like to see more discussion of the importance of using both classes of approaches being carried out in the publications of major organizations like AAAS, APA, APS, ASHA, SFN, etc.

Some Things That Might Be Done to Improve Funding for the Behavioral Sciences

7) Clearly long-term assistance for improved Behavioral Sciences funding will be determined by the education of society and of future Behavioral Scientists. The Behavioral Sciences should strongly support the STEM initiatives and work hard to make sure that the Behavioral Sciences are integral to these initiatives.

6) It wouldn’t hurt if there were funding for studies of the correlates and causes of the public’s attitudes toward science, especially the Behavioral Sciences. Such studies should lead to ways to influence the public toward a greater understanding of and appreciate for science, especially the Behavioral Sciences.

4) It is too bad that the Behavioral Sciences do not have a report like “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” that could articulate the importance of the Behavioral Sciences for society and suggest an agenda for providing support to further the benefits that the Behavioral Sciences can provide. Perhaps the NAS/NRC (e.g., the Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences) might generate such a report.

5) The Behavioral Sciences should not shy away from demonstrating their relevance to major societal issues like climate change, energy use, causes of morbidity and mortality, peace, poverty, education, national and homeland security, etc.