The impact of Skinner on basic versus applied research in behavioral analysis

In this work, we use a bibliometric approach to analyze Skinner's impact on behavior analysis. Our objective is to analyze the historical roots of the events that mark the development of behavioral science and to ascertain whether there is a difference between basic and applied research. To achieve this, we have created a bibliographical database from the Social Science Citation Index from 1985 to 2003 and have selected the citations on Skinner in the two main journals: the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior on basic research and the Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis on practical applications. The results indicate that Skinner has a major impact on the behavioural field. The authors who cite him most frequently carry out basic experimental research in the laboratory and belong to the behavioral are. In contrast, those working in applied analysis aim to effect changes of behavior of clinical or social significance.