The following article was reprinted from Psychological Science Agenda (Vol. 13, No. 6; November/December 2000), with permission of the American Psychological Association (APA) Science Directorate

 

Anatomy of a Success: Decade of Behavior Launch
by Richard C. McCarty, PhD, Executive Director for Science

As a postdoctoral fellow, I first heard some words of wisdom that have stuck with me for more than 20 years. I can't remember the source, but whenever I was whining about an especially difficult project, the message was always, "Stop complaining. The easy things have already been accomplished." I have thought about that simple phrase quite a lot over the past 3 years, as work on the Decade of Behavior initiative progressed from a vague idea into a bright and shining reality. The steady march from conception to reality is an interesting story with many twists and turns. A major milestone occurred on Monday evening, September 25, 2000, when the Decade of Behavior initiative was officially launched at a Capitol Hill research exhibition and reception. The front-page article of this issue of PSA spells out some of the highlights of that wonderful evening. For my column, I thought you would appreciate some additional details about the talented team that played an important role in this celebration of the behavioral and social sciences.

Whenever I have been involved in party planning, two things always occur to me. These two things will reveal some of my insecurities, so please be kind. The first thought is-will anyone attend? Soon thereafter, a second thought pops into my head-even if someone wants to come, will the weather cooperate? Needless to say, both questions were reverberating within various areas of my brain for many weeks leading up to the Decade of Behavior research exhibition. Well, we solved the first problem, as many people were in fact interested in the showcase of behavioral and social science research. However, on September 25, more than three inches of rain fell in the Washington, DC area. The event was billed as the Decade of Behavior "launch event," and I think we had more than enough water to launch an Aegis class destroyer. Why was the launch event such a success in spite of the rain? Permit me to offer some personal insights...

When the Decade of Behavior National Advisory Committee met on April 28-29, 2000, a key item on the agenda was planning the launch event. There was a great deal of discussion about ensuring that the launch event was substantive, not simply a Washington cocktail party with a few speeches. Well, this suggestion was the first critical step in making the launch event something that would stand out as an unqualified success. As a starting point, nominations were sought from partner scientific societies for researchers who were the best exemplars of their disciplines. The National Advisory Committee narrowed down this list of nominees to a final group of 13 exhibitors. An emphasis was placed on researchers who could incorporate a level of interactivity in their exhibits.

Coordinating the schedules, poster preparation, and equipment needs of 13 researchers was not a simple task. Dianne Maranto and Carla Rascoe of the Science Directorate assumed lead roles in dealing with a wonderful group of scientists from many different disciplines. The exhibits were prepared by Pro Displays, Inc., and they were among the most impressive I have ever seen. Last but not least, many details of the event were expertly coordinated by Jaylene Hobrecht of Podesta.com, a widely respected Washington public relations firm. We were told that Jaylene is known far and wide as the "exhibits queen," and she more than lived up to her advance billing. Without her, well, it's too scary to even contemplate. She worked many miracles, including negotiating the Capitol Hill Police security procedures. Words cannot express adequately our admiration for her.

We sent out a stunning invitation to our many friends and supporters, as well as policy makers and federal agency officials. The invitation was designed by Tom Stiltz of Visual Thinking. We also commissioned an eye-catching poster that you will see a great deal of in the coming years. What did the guests see when they arrived at the elegant Cannon Caucus Room? There were exhibits on ways to infuse scientific principles into primary school classrooms using handheld computers, integrating teaching and research in political science with a web-based project on criminal sentencing, the effectiveness of smoking cessation programs with inner city populations, human factors research for improving air traffic control systems, prenatal stress effects on birth outcomes, and many more topics.

Several members of Congress visited the exhibits, in spite of the votes scheduled in the House of Representatives that evening. We are especially proud that two distinguished social scientists, Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), a clinical psychologist by training, and Rep. David Price (D-NC), a political scientist, were on hand to offer remarks to the many guests. Rep. Price was also kind enough to read a letter from President Clinton. Special thanks are due to Antonella Pianalto of Podesta.com for making this exciting moment possible by working with staff in the Executive Office of the President. Finally, local television news personality Barbara Harrison was on hand to encourage researchers to address many societal challenges.

Please visit the Decade of Behavior website for a complete rundown of this exciting evening that celebrated the contributions of the behavioral and social sciences in service to the nation.

The Decade is launched. Now the real work begins. There are many activities planned for the early years of the Decade of Behavior. Check them out at www.decadeofbehavior.org.