The Behaviormetric Society
In academic worlds during the latter half of the 20th century, as research disciplines have become increasingly fractionalized, their methodologies are developing in diverse manners and directions. That long trend has created circumstances in which, on the one hand, the distances separating the fractionalized disciplines are increasingly larger. On the other hand, many researchers often find that creative new methodologies are not fully understood or supported in their own discipline.
However, in the methodology which approaches human behavioral phenomena in a quantitative way, we know that many researchers across the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences share interests. As a matter of fact, at the "Symposium of Behaviormetrics", which has been held annually mainly by a group of psychometricians since 1969, more than 100 research presentations have been delivered from various disciplines, including law, political science, economics, sociology, psychology, education, statistics, engineering, medicine, and ecology.
Therefore, we decided to establish a new society with aligning the development of methodology related to human behavioral phenomena in a broad sense at the center of our interest, irrespective of the discipline, in accordance with a set of processes: grasping the essence of a phenomenon; formulating it in conformity with a purpose; conducting experiments and surveys; and measuring, analyzing, and pulling out information and with the aims of promoting research in each discipline and encouraging the mutual interaction of researchers in different areas.
It is hardly necessary to acknowledge the significance of researchers in different disciplines exchanging their opinions on methodology in the setting of an academic society. Gaining inspiration from methodologies of the disciplines different from one’s own and looking at one’s own disciplines through the eyes of outsiders provides great opportunities to escape from hitherto fixed ideas. Additionally, it are expected to promote new joint research groups, or new joint research planning. Therefore, we think that no need exists to limit the range of disciplines strictly from which individuals may join the Society.
On the other hand, the importance of quantitative methodologies related to human behavioral phenomena have not yet been sufficiently recognized in the established disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, even considering that they face differing conditions and circumstances. Further, the applied quantitative methodologies are not always satisfactorily appreciated. Considering that these conditions might result from a lack of research effort on our own part, we establish a new society as one means of reflecting on the matter.
The Society is now being established by people who share the same vision, without being bounded by existing organizations or patterns of networking. We have called on those people who are interested in quantitative research and its methodologies related to human behavioral phenomena in the broadest sense. You shall come and take part in the further development of this Society!
Note: This is a tentative translation verison. See the original Japanese version to know the formal Prospectus.