Readers of PSA were among the first to learn about plans for the Decade of Behavior (DoB). Planning continues at a feverish pace for the DoB within the Science Directorate, and many staff members are making critical contributions as wed develop a framework for this initiative. In addition, we continue to approach other scientific associations, government agencies, private foundations, and academic departments for support of and involvement in this monumental undertaking. We plan to use PSA as one means of keeping you up-to-date on planning activities for this initiative. There are three major themes for the DoB which are tied directly to major strengths offered by the behavioral and social sciences. They include:

A healthier nation. As we move into the twenty-first century, there is a growing appreciation of the critical connections between behavior and health. The initiative will focus significant attention on this connection with an emphasis on prevention of illness from infancy to old age. Other important issues include developing a clearer understanding of the behavioral underpinnings of drug addiction and chronic diseases. In addition, advances in molecular genetics must be accompanied by studies of genetic expression in specific environmental contexts.

A safer nation. Many members of our society are not provided with a safe and secure environment in which children can develop and families can thrive. Child abuse and neglect, violence against women, and interpersonal violence represent a cancer on our society. In addition, injuries sustained in accidents are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The DoB will seek to organize a national effort to enhance the safety and security of all citizens in their communities, their places of employment, and their modes of transportation

A better-educated nation. Our educational system represents an investment in the future. However, this investment is only as strong as the educational opportunities provided to the children and adults of our nation. We need to know much more about how children think and learn, optimal ways to retrain adults for rapidly emerging high-technology jobs, interventions for adults with limited reading and writing skills, and many other things. At the heart of our system of public education are the frequent, daily interactions between teachers and students, with a growing interface of technological support. Many research questions remain, and new interventions will be required to boost the effectiveness of our teachers and the educational achievements of our citizens. In addition to these overarching themes of the new initiative, there are some important cross-cutting issues. These include productivity, technology, and diversity. There is little doubt that enhanced health, safety, and education will have a beneficial effect on individual and national benchmarks for productivity and prosperity. Efforts to enhance productivity will be supported by technological developments in the home, the classroom, and the work-place. Finally, our nation is preparing to move into a new century that will be characterized by a progressive increase in racial and ethnic diversity. By the middle of the next century, more than 50% of the population of the United States will be composed of people of color. Behavioral and social scientists have the requisite training and skills to provide critical research support and to develop innovative interventions to ensure that our nation continues to prosper. The many individuals involved in this initiative are convinced that the next century will belong to the behavioral and social sciences. By labeling the first decade of the new century as the Decade of Behavior, we seek to boost the involvement of behavioral and social scientists in the critical issues facing our nation on a scale that is unprecedented. Stay tuned for future developments and remember—DoB fever is contagious and there is no known cure! 

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