Toward the globalization of behavior analysis.
Plant behavior analysis abroad by funding one university pioneer who trains locals and writes policy, then let the system replicate itself.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Malott (2004) wrote a roadmap for taking behavior analysis worldwide.
The paper says: pay one funded pioneer to land at a foreign university.
That person starts research, trains students, and builds clinics.
Local talent then repeats the cycle in nearby cities.
What they found
No data were collected; this is a how-to guide.
The core claim: deliberate, step-by-step contingencies beat hope.
Seed one site well and a national network can grow on its own.
How this fits with other research
Cihon et al. (2018) show the plan works. Their team kept a cross-border partnership alive for years by setting shared goals and checking cultural blind spots.
de la Cruz et al. (2025) add the policy leg. They list wins where behavior analysts lobbied for licensure and insurance abroad, proving the roadmap needs a government arm.
Kirby et al. (2022) tighten the cultural piece. They tell pioneers to use cultural reciprocity—question your own values first—before you teach abroad.
McGee et al. (2019) give the systems tool. They say map the university’s reinforcers and constraints before you launch the new program, or the seed will die.
Why it matters
If you plan to work, teach, or consult outside the U.S., treat this paper as your checklist. Secure a local university base, secure funding for at least two years, train local leaders, and help them write policy briefs. Do that and your project keeps running after you leave.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Globalization could facilitate the long-term growth of behavior analysis, and although progress has been made, much yet needs to be done. Given the scarcity of resources, it is suggested that we draw from successes in the development of behavior analysis and establish behavioral programs around the world that embrace research, education, and practice as a focus of systematic globalization efforts. The strategy would require the implementation of cultural contingencies that support initiation and long-term program expansion. For program initiation, contingencies are needed to place pioneer behavior analysts in university units that would be unlikely to start a behavioral program otherwise. The task of these pioneers would be to build a critical mass that would multiply behavior-analytic repertoires, obtain research funding, conduct publishable research, and establish applied settings. For long-term program development, the field should expand internationally as it continues building the infrastructure needed to accelerate the demand for behavioral programs in higher education, scholarly work in behavior analysis, behavior analysts in existing jobs, and behavioral technology in the market place.
The Behavior analyst, 2004 · doi:10.1007/BF03392087