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Has behavior therapy drifted from its experimental roots? A survey of publication trends in mainstream behavioral journals.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Forsyth, JP; Kollins, S; Palav, A; Duff, K; Maher, S
Published in: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry
September 1999

In recent years it has been suggested that behavior therapy, characterized in part by single-subject designs and an idiographic approach to addressing practical problems, is drifting from its experimental roots. To examine trends in behavior therapy, and to provide an objective index of drift, two archival studies were conducted to identify publication trends in the use of single-subject designs vs. group designs, as well as citations to select basic behavioral science journals. In Study 1, articles appearing in Behavior Therapy from 1970 through 1996 were reviewed and categorized in terms of type of article, design, and citations to experimental journals. Findings from Study 1 suggest declining publication trends in single-subject designs and citations to experimental journals in Behavior Therapy, with a modest increase in the use of group designs over the period. Study 2 was designed to replicate and extend our initial findings by surveying three behavioral journals in addition to Behavior Therapy using the PsychLit database and years covering 1974 through 1996: Behaviour Research and Therapy, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, and Behavior Modification. Consistent with Study 1, results of Study 2 showed declining trends in single-subject designs for all mainstream behavioral journals. The significance of these findings in light of the argument that behavior therapy has drifted from its experimental roots is discussed, with emphasis on contingencies that may be responsible for the trends observed.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0005-7916

Publication Date

September 1999

Volume

30

Issue

3

Start / End Page

205 / 220

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Research Design
  • Publishing
  • Periodicals as Topic
  • Humans
  • Forecasting
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Behavior Therapy
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
 

Citation

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Forsyth, J. P., Kollins, S., Palav, A., Duff, K., & Maher, S. (1999). Has behavior therapy drifted from its experimental roots? A survey of publication trends in mainstream behavioral journals. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry, 30(3), 205–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7916(99)00020-8
Forsyth, J. P., S. Kollins, A. Palav, K. Duff, and S. Maher. “Has behavior therapy drifted from its experimental roots? A survey of publication trends in mainstream behavioral journals.J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 30, no. 3 (September 1999): 205–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7916(99)00020-8.
Forsyth JP, Kollins S, Palav A, Duff K, Maher S. Has behavior therapy drifted from its experimental roots? A survey of publication trends in mainstream behavioral journals. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 1999 Sep;30(3):205–20.
Forsyth, J. P., et al. “Has behavior therapy drifted from its experimental roots? A survey of publication trends in mainstream behavioral journals.J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry, vol. 30, no. 3, Sept. 1999, pp. 205–20. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/s0005-7916(99)00020-8.
Forsyth JP, Kollins S, Palav A, Duff K, Maher S. Has behavior therapy drifted from its experimental roots? A survey of publication trends in mainstream behavioral journals. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 1999 Sep;30(3):205–220.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0005-7916

Publication Date

September 1999

Volume

30

Issue

3

Start / End Page

205 / 220

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Research Design
  • Publishing
  • Periodicals as Topic
  • Humans
  • Forecasting
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Behavior Therapy
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology