Culturo-Behavior Science Research Area
Behavior science has the potential to make substantial contributions to addressing complex cultural issues affecting people and society. In 2018, an ABAI task force defined “culturo-behavioral science” (CBS) as an area of training and research that integrates the basic principles of behavior analysis with metacontingencies in the study of culture and complex systems. This area of research encompasses various units of analysis that have a measurable impact on society or in cultural systems:
- Behavioral lineages of a single group and the same topography
- Behavioral lineages of multiple groups and various topographies
- Cultural lineages, multiple groups, and various topographies
- Cultural interventions with no lineages, multiple, various
The study and understanding of culture from a behavioral science perspective have been advancing on several fronts within ABAI, including think tanks, higher-education training, specialized conferences, and publications.