CANTON – A SUNY Canton faculty member says behaviorism could be instrumental in providing new solutions to global warming.

Professor Stephen F. Ledoux’s article in the January-February 2012 issue of American Scientist, “Behaviorism at 100,” says changing people’s behavior is key to tackling the effects of human behavior on the climate.

Ledoux’s work is featured alongside an article from one of the founders of the movement in the psychological study of human behavior, B.F. Skinner, whose article “Behaviorism at 50” was originally published in the journal 50 years ago and was republished in the current edition.

“My article describes some aspects of Skinner’s behaviorism but also touches on the gradual emergence of the independent natural science of behavior, now called behaviorology,” Ledoux said. “In 1987, behaviorology became a recognized independent discipline in the natural sciences. The work I’ve done chronicles some progress made since Skinner’s ‘Behaviorism at 50’ article appeared in 1963 as well as a range of benefits that come from these developments.”

Ledoux noted the editor of the magazine waited to publish his work so it could be included in the 100th volume of the publication and provide a historical context for new readers.

“Natural scientists are working to solve problems like global warming within the limited time frame available before we must experience its worst effects,” Ledoux said. “In that process, scientists note that solutions require changes in human behavior, yet they have lacked definitive access to a natural science of behavior. We now have that, which will be increasingly valuable for solving local and global problems,” such as the continuing effects of climate change.

Ledoux is in his 30th year teaching at SUNY Canton. He has also taught behaviorology in Australia and China. He is a member of the team teaching in the college’s new applied psychology major, which is accepting applicants for the 2012 semester.

He has authored several books and edited various behaviorism texts, including Lawrence Fraley’s “General Behaviorology: The Natural Science of Human Behavior.”

American Scientist is a bimonthly science and technology magazine that is among the most widely distributed natural science journals in the country.

The article can be seen at http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2012/1/behaviorism-at-100.