Behavioral Field Systems Analysis: History and Scientific Relatives

Sharpe and Hawkins's field systems analysis (or behavioral systems analysis; Ray & Delprato, 1989) uses investigative procedures that yield (a) descriptions in terms of (b) multiple concurrent factors (c) operating in real time. Examination of subsequent articles in this issue will reveal researchers who take description to levels rarely exhibited in behavioral research by (a) identifying, defining, and measuring far more than the usual limited number of variables, and (b) tracking the status of these variables on a moment-by-moment basis. The purpose of this paper is to place behavioral field systems analysis (FSA) into perspective historically and in terms of its relationship to behavioral science as a whole.