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The changing nature of behavior therapy
RI~Er&vIoR I'Ht~RAPy21, 1--2, 1990
The Changing Nature of Behavior Therapy W. EDWARDCRAItJHFM~,PIt.D. EDITOR
Behavior Therapy began as a small and somewhat parochial journal in the 1960's, but it now enjoys a broadly-based and widely-respected international reputation. For the past several years, Behavior Therapy has been among those journals regularly rated as having the greatest impact in the clinical mental health arena. It is subscribed to by individuals and libraries throughout the world. It enjoys this status because investigators have published valuable and significant research in this journal. The journal has also been successful because of the effective leadership of its prior Editors: Cyril Franks, Alan Kazdin, David Barlow, and Edward Blanchard. I hope to continue to guide the journal in the successful pattern of my predecessors. To help me with this task, I have chosen as Associate Editors, Andrew Meyers, Susan O'Leary, and Lizette Peterson, who are all active clinical researchers. As can be seen from the journal masthead, we have chosen a diverse and knowledgeable Editorial Board to assist us in the review and development of manuscripts. When Alan gaTdin became Editor he observed that, "The definition of behavior therapy is elusive, a problem that is widely recogniTed in the field" (1979, p. 2). As he noted, this definitional ambiguity may be a problem on some fronts, but it has also provided the freedom for the various Editors to publish a broad range of articles on diverse topics in Behavior Therapy. We certainly expect to maintain the breadth of scope and diversity of research published in this journal. In fact, an AABT Publications Committee recent review of the types and topics of articles accepted in the journal found data consistent with the view that Behavior Therapy publishes articles from widely discrepant conceptual and diverse methodological viewpoints. For example, there were articles addressing most DSM-III-R problems and a variety of other interpersonal, social, community, and academic concerns. Furthermore, these articles were derived from a variety of divergent conceptual frameworks, much as the membership of AABT is conceptually diverse (see the first article in this issue). About one-half of the papers published over the past six years were concerned with psychopathology and behavior disorders. The other one-half were concerned with assessment and intervention issues, with slightly more assessment articles published. In keeping with this developing nature of the journal and the field of behavior therapy, the AABT Publications Committee recently changed the journal byline to, "An international journal devoted to the application of behavioral and cognitive sciences to rlinical problems." This is more l 0005-7894/90/0001--000251.00/0 Copyright 1990 by Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy All rtghts of reproduction in any form reserved.
2
c~u~,D
than a symbolic change, because it reflects the changing nature of the field of behavior therapy. It is believed that this byline will further support the efforts of the journal and the current Editorial group to both reflect and guide the ever-broadening conceptuMization of behavior therapy. Under my Editorship, the journal will continue to seek papers that both advance the scientific base of behavior therapy and the clinical utility of intervention and prevention procedures. Whether empirical or conceptual, I hope that each article would note, if not emphasize, both the clinical and theoretical significance of the paper. The journal will continue to publish articles which focus on clinical disorders and populations. In addition, we would like to publish scientifically based papers on important social and community problems such as AIDS, family and marital conflict, physical violence, sexual abuse, and drug and substance abuse. The journal also would like to increase the number of papers addressing issues of children, adolescents, and the elderly. Of course, as all prior Editors have noted, the "backbone" of behavior therapy and Behavior Therapy will continue to be reports of original, empirical research regarding psychopathology, assessment, and intervention or prevention. We will hope especially to publish outcome evaluations of clinical intervention and prevention procedures, including occasional studies on new topics or procedures with short follow-up periods. This seems particularly important since it now appears that maintenance intervention and issues may sometimes differ from treatment ones, and they may warrant separate consideration. We will publish both full-length and brief-report clinical work utilizing single subject and group designs. We will occasionallypublish theoretical papers and critical reviews of topics germane to behavior therapy. We will continue to publish clinical replication series papers, and occasionally a report of a creative case-study. I am pleased that this first issue can reflect the diversity and breadth that the Associate Editors and I hope will characterize Behavior Therapy. The first article reflects the importance of incorporating diverse areas when addressing a clinical problem from a clinical-behavioral perspective. In addition, this issue includes articles concerned with child problems, marital problems, community education of a significant issue, and behavioral medicine topics. All manuscripts should be submitted directly to the Editor (see Instructions to Authors). The manuscript will be handled by the Editor or one of the Associate Editors, who will provide you an efficient review process (7-9 weeks). The journal policy has been to keep publication lag time at a minimum, so an accepted article usually appears in print in the next issue following its acceptance. I value enormously this opportunity to serve as Editor, and I welcome your input and suggestions that will enhance the scientific and clinical utility of Behavior Therapy. REFERENCES
Kazdin, A. E. (1979). The scope of behaviortherapy.Behavtor Therapy, 10, 1-7.
The Changing Nature of Behavior Therapy W. EDWARDCRAItJHFM~,PIt.D. EDITOR
Behavior Therapy began as a small and somewhat parochial journal in the 1960's, but it now enjoys a broadly-based and widely-respected international reputation. For the past several years, Behavior Therapy has been among those journals regularly rated as having the greatest impact in the clinical mental health arena. It is subscribed to by individuals and libraries throughout the world. It enjoys this status because investigators have published valuable and significant research in this journal. The journal has also been successful because of the effective leadership of its prior Editors: Cyril Franks, Alan Kazdin, David Barlow, and Edward Blanchard. I hope to continue to guide the journal in the successful pattern of my predecessors. To help me with this task, I have chosen as Associate Editors, Andrew Meyers, Susan O'Leary, and Lizette Peterson, who are all active clinical researchers. As can be seen from the journal masthead, we have chosen a diverse and knowledgeable Editorial Board to assist us in the review and development of manuscripts. When Alan gaTdin became Editor he observed that, "The definition of behavior therapy is elusive, a problem that is widely recogniTed in the field" (1979, p. 2). As he noted, this definitional ambiguity may be a problem on some fronts, but it has also provided the freedom for the various Editors to publish a broad range of articles on diverse topics in Behavior Therapy. We certainly expect to maintain the breadth of scope and diversity of research published in this journal. In fact, an AABT Publications Committee recent review of the types and topics of articles accepted in the journal found data consistent with the view that Behavior Therapy publishes articles from widely discrepant conceptual and diverse methodological viewpoints. For example, there were articles addressing most DSM-III-R problems and a variety of other interpersonal, social, community, and academic concerns. Furthermore, these articles were derived from a variety of divergent conceptual frameworks, much as the membership of AABT is conceptually diverse (see the first article in this issue). About one-half of the papers published over the past six years were concerned with psychopathology and behavior disorders. The other one-half were concerned with assessment and intervention issues, with slightly more assessment articles published. In keeping with this developing nature of the journal and the field of behavior therapy, the AABT Publications Committee recently changed the journal byline to, "An international journal devoted to the application of behavioral and cognitive sciences to rlinical problems." This is more l 0005-7894/90/0001--000251.00/0 Copyright 1990 by Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy All rtghts of reproduction in any form reserved.
2
c~u~,D
than a symbolic change, because it reflects the changing nature of the field of behavior therapy. It is believed that this byline will further support the efforts of the journal and the current Editorial group to both reflect and guide the ever-broadening conceptuMization of behavior therapy. Under my Editorship, the journal will continue to seek papers that both advance the scientific base of behavior therapy and the clinical utility of intervention and prevention procedures. Whether empirical or conceptual, I hope that each article would note, if not emphasize, both the clinical and theoretical significance of the paper. The journal will continue to publish articles which focus on clinical disorders and populations. In addition, we would like to publish scientifically based papers on important social and community problems such as AIDS, family and marital conflict, physical violence, sexual abuse, and drug and substance abuse. The journal also would like to increase the number of papers addressing issues of children, adolescents, and the elderly. Of course, as all prior Editors have noted, the "backbone" of behavior therapy and Behavior Therapy will continue to be reports of original, empirical research regarding psychopathology, assessment, and intervention or prevention. We will hope especially to publish outcome evaluations of clinical intervention and prevention procedures, including occasional studies on new topics or procedures with short follow-up periods. This seems particularly important since it now appears that maintenance intervention and issues may sometimes differ from treatment ones, and they may warrant separate consideration. We will publish both full-length and brief-report clinical work utilizing single subject and group designs. We will occasionallypublish theoretical papers and critical reviews of topics germane to behavior therapy. We will continue to publish clinical replication series papers, and occasionally a report of a creative case-study. I am pleased that this first issue can reflect the diversity and breadth that the Associate Editors and I hope will characterize Behavior Therapy. The first article reflects the importance of incorporating diverse areas when addressing a clinical problem from a clinical-behavioral perspective. In addition, this issue includes articles concerned with child problems, marital problems, community education of a significant issue, and behavioral medicine topics. All manuscripts should be submitted directly to the Editor (see Instructions to Authors). The manuscript will be handled by the Editor or one of the Associate Editors, who will provide you an efficient review process (7-9 weeks). The journal policy has been to keep publication lag time at a minimum, so an accepted article usually appears in print in the next issue following its acceptance. I value enormously this opportunity to serve as Editor, and I welcome your input and suggestions that will enhance the scientific and clinical utility of Behavior Therapy. REFERENCES
Kazdin, A. E. (1979). The scope of behaviortherapy.Behavtor Therapy, 10, 1-7.