Behavior Analysis in Venezuela: An Unrecognized Legacy

Abstract

Several prior publications have described the development of the field of behavior analysis in Latin American countries, such as Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Despite there being a similarly strong tradition of behavior analytic training and research in Venezuela, little has been written and disseminated about this history in international outlets. The purpose of this article was to document the history of behavior analysis in Venezuela using historiographic methods and interviewing members of the behavior analytic community in Venezuela. By analyzing and synthesizing these various sources, we describe the historical and cultural context in which behavior analytic laboratories and training programs were established, the influence of international scholars, the work of Venezuelan professors and students highlighting important women, the height of scholarly productivity, and the current state of the field. In this article, we explore the impact of environmental variables, such as the sociopolitical context and funding availability on the behavior analytic training and research in Venezuela.