Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies was founded in 1981 by American psychologist Robert Epstein
as an advanced studies institute devoted to promoting the scientific study of behavior and its humane applications in human affairs. During its first decade of operation, more than 100 distinguished scientists, business leaders and public policy makers were involved in center programs, including Nobel laureates Roger Sperry and David Hubel and current or former executive officers of the American Psychological Association
, Columbia University
, the Peace Corps
, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
, and other organizations and institutions.
During its early years the center was located across from the Harvard Yard
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. It housed a library and archive, hosted public policy workshops, offered advanced training in the analysis of behavior, provided fellowships to noted scholars, and hosted the annual Loebner Prize
Competition in Artificial Intelligence. A fire in the early 1990s destroyed most of the holdings of the library and archives and forced the center to move to other quarters. It is currently located in Concord, Massachusetts
, where it organizes conferences, publishes academic journals (Behavior and Philosophy, Behavioral Technology Today), maintains an extensive website of information on the scientific study of behavior, and provides accreditation for programs and institutions that analyze or modify behavior using high standards of scientific practice.
Robert Epstein
Robert Epstein Ph.D. is an American psychologist, researcher, writer, and media professional whose primary contributions have been in the areas of creativity, artificial intelligence, peace, adolescence, and interpersonal relationships...
as an advanced studies institute devoted to promoting the scientific study of behavior and its humane applications in human affairs. During its first decade of operation, more than 100 distinguished scientists, business leaders and public policy makers were involved in center programs, including Nobel laureates Roger Sperry and David Hubel and current or former executive officers of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies was founded in 1966. Its headquarters are in New York City and its membership includes researchers, psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, social workers, nurses, and other mental-health practitioners, researchers, and students who...
, and other organizations and institutions.
During its early years the center was located across from the Harvard Yard
Harvard Yard
Harvard Yard is a grassy area of about , adjacent to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that constitutes the oldest part and the center of the campus of Harvard University...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. It housed a library and archive, hosted public policy workshops, offered advanced training in the analysis of behavior, provided fellowships to noted scholars, and hosted the annual Loebner Prize
Loebner prize
The Loebner Prize is an annual competition in artificial intelligence that awards prizes to the chatterbot considered by the judges to be the most human-like. The format of the competition is that of a standard Turing test. In each round, a human judge simultaneously holds textual conversations...
Competition in Artificial Intelligence. A fire in the early 1990s destroyed most of the holdings of the library and archives and forced the center to move to other quarters. It is currently located in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
, where it organizes conferences, publishes academic journals (Behavior and Philosophy, Behavioral Technology Today), maintains an extensive website of information on the scientific study of behavior, and provides accreditation for programs and institutions that analyze or modify behavior using high standards of scientific practice.