HOW RESEARCH IN BEHAVIORAL PHARMACOLOGY INFORMS BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

• Published in: Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 407 - 423
• Main Author: Branch, Marc N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2006; Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior; Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior; Behavior Disorders; Behavior Modification; Behavior Patterns; Behavior Theories; Behavioral Science Research; Behavioral Sciences; Discrimination Learning; Drug Addiction; drug discrimination; drug effects; drug self-administration; Drug Therapy; Drug Use; drugs as tools; Humans; match to sample; Modeling (Psychology); Narcotics; Opportunities; Pharmacology; Physiology; private events; Psychological Patterns; punishment; Reinforcement; Reinforcement (Psychology); Research - standards; Side effects; Special; Stimuli; Substance Abuse
• ISSN: 0022-5002; 1938-3711; 0022-5002
• DOI: 10.1901/jeab.2006.130-04

Behavioral pharmacology is a maturing science that has made significant contributions to the study of drug effects on behavior, especially in the domain of drug‐behavior interactions. Less appreciated is that research in behavioral pharmacology can have, and has had, implications for the experimental analysis of behavior, especially its conceptualizations and theory. In this article, I outline three general strategies in behavioral pharmacology research that have been employed to increase understanding of behavioral processes. Examples are provided of the general characteristics of the strategies and of implications of previous research for behavior theory. Behavior analysis will advance as its theories are challenged.