The Measurement of The Measurement of Behavior: Linchpin to Behavior: Linchpin to

Progress in Behavioral and Progress in Behavioral and Bio-Behavioral ResearchBio-Behavioral Research

Steven F. Warren, Ph.D.Steven F. Warren, Ph.D.Institute for Life Span SciencesInstitute for Life Span Sciences

University of KansasUniversity of KansasMarch 15, 2007March 15, 2007

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

The central role of measurement in The central role of measurement in scientific advancementscientific advancement

The measurement of human behavior: The measurement of human behavior: good news, bad news, good news good news, bad news, good news

The measurement of animal behavior: The measurement of animal behavior: good news, bad news, etcgood news, bad news, etc

Prospects for our bio-behavioral futureProspects for our bio-behavioral future

The Fundamental Role of The Fundamental Role of Measurement in ScienceMeasurement in Science

Measurement capabilities shape research Measurement capabilities shape research and determine what discoveries are madeand determine what discoveries are made

Some old examples of measurement Some old examples of measurement breakthroughs: the telescope, the breakthroughs: the telescope, the microscope.microscope.

Some recent examples: the gene chip, Some recent examples: the gene chip, brain imaging technologies.brain imaging technologies.

Rapid scientific advances Rapid scientific advances typically follow breakthroughs in typically follow breakthroughs in

measurement technologiesmeasurement technologies

Some Good NewsSome Good News

Breakthroughs in genetics and Breakthroughs in genetics and neuroscience are making behavioral neuroscience are making behavioral research MORE important.research MORE important.Genetic/biological factors account for only Genetic/biological factors account for only a fraction of the variance in human a fraction of the variance in human behavor.behavor.The emergence of the new fields of The emergence of the new fields of behavioral genetics and the behavioral behavioral genetics and the behavioral and cognitive neurosciences reflect thisand cognitive neurosciences reflect this

Some Bad NewsSome Bad News

Measuring human behavior is generally Measuring human behavior is generally labor-intensive, tedious, and expensivelabor-intensive, tedious, and expensive

Progress in behavioral science has been Progress in behavioral science has been slowed by the lack of advances in slowed by the lack of advances in measurement while just the opposite has measurement while just the opposite has occurred in the biological sciencesoccurred in the biological sciences

Some More Good NewsSome More Good News

Things are changing in the Things are changing in the behavioral sciences!behavioral sciences!

LENA LENA

The world’s first automatic natural The world’s first automatic natural language analysis systemlanguage analysis system

A transformational behavioral A transformational behavioral measurement technologymeasurement technology

The door to a new generation of The door to a new generation of behavioral and bio-behavioral researchbehavioral and bio-behavioral research

What LENA does:What LENA does:

Captures every utterance between parent Captures every utterance between parent and childand child

Measures adult-child turntakingMeasures adult-child turntaking

Can count and analyze up to 20,000 Can count and analyze up to 20,000 words in a daywords in a day

Compares adult-child samples to a Compares adult-child samples to a database of 18,000 hours of adult-child database of 18,000 hours of adult-child interaction (and growing)interaction (and growing)

LENA Technical AccomplishmentsLENA Technical Accomplishments

Uses advanced speech recognition Uses advanced speech recognition technology and algorithimstechnology and algorithims

Mean per hour error rate in of 2.4 % Mean per hour error rate in of 2.4 % compared to human transcriberscompared to human transcribers

Discerns near and far speech, filters out Discerns near and far speech, filters out child crying/vegatative sounds as well as child crying/vegatative sounds as well as TV and radioTV and radio

Some questions for LENASome questions for LENA

What are the cumulative effects of What are the cumulative effects of language rich/poor environments? language rich/poor environments? How does the “richness” of the How does the “richness” of the environment interact with various environment interact with various disorders or genetic propensities disorders or genetic propensities cumulatively to impact development?cumulatively to impact development?How easily can environments be How easily can environments be enriched/modified? enriched/modified? And on, and on, and on….And on, and on, and on….

Other examplesOther examples

Measuring “consumer” behavior via the Measuring “consumer” behavior via the web. (Measuring behavior has become a web. (Measuring behavior has become a big business). big business).

The convergence of global positioning, The convergence of global positioning, biosensors, and wireless technologiesbiosensors, and wireless technologies

Measuring growth instantly and changing Measuring growth instantly and changing intervention goals accordinglyintervention goals accordingly

The Brave New World ConcernThe Brave New World Concern

Our increasing ability to measure human Our increasing ability to measure human behavior may lay the foundation for behavior may lay the foundation for scientific breakthroughs, but….scientific breakthroughs, but….

It also raises concerns about violations of It also raises concerns about violations of various civil rights. various civil rights.

How will IRB’s constrain or shape what How will IRB’s constrain or shape what can be done with these technologies?can be done with these technologies?

The measurement of animal The measurement of animal behaviorbehavior

The Good News: Advances in knock-out The Good News: Advances in knock-out and transgenic technologies have made and transgenic technologies have made the measurement of behavior a central the measurement of behavior a central concern for many biolological scientistsconcern for many biolological scientists

The Bad News: Most biological scientists The Bad News: Most biological scientists have little knowledge and even less have little knowledge and even less training in how to measure behavior. training in how to measure behavior.

Possible SolutionsPossible Solutions

Add behavioral training to the pedagogy of Add behavioral training to the pedagogy of biologistbiologist

Train and support a relatively small Train and support a relatively small number of biobehavioral measurement number of biobehavioral measurement specialists to help biologists design and specialists to help biologists design and use appropriate behavioral measuresuse appropriate behavioral measures

A “Good News” OutcomeA “Good News” Outcome

Knowledge of the effects of genetic Knowledge of the effects of genetic manipulations increases more rapidly due manipulations increases more rapidly due to the infusion of behavioral measurement to the infusion of behavioral measurement expertise expertise

Prospects for Bio-behavioral Prospects for Bio-behavioral ScienceScience

Advances in genetics and neuroscience Advances in genetics and neuroscience have made behavioral science more have made behavioral science more important, not lessimportant, not less

Advances in behavioral measurement may Advances in behavioral measurement may revolutionize behavioral sciencerevolutionize behavioral science

Convergence of behavioral and biological Convergence of behavioral and biological measurements will accelerate bio-measurements will accelerate bio-behavioral science behavioral science

“No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars or sailed to an uncharted land or

opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” Helen Keller