Steven Hursh is widely recognized as one of the founding scientists in the modern theory of Dr. Steven Hursh is widely recognized as one of the founding scientists in the modern theory of behavioral economics, but his influence has spread far beyond the world of psychology. Dr. Hursh served as the President and Chief Scientist of the Institutes for Behavior Resources and also serves as Adjunct Research Professor of Behavioral Biology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
After receiving his B.A. in Psychology from Wake Forest University and his doctoral degree in experimental psychology from the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Hursh accepted a position as an Army Research Psychologist at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in 1972. Dr. Hursh served on numerous committees and working groups to review and plan medical and soldier-oriented research programs; conducted and supervised biomedical research, including management of major Department of Defense programs; and invented a model for predicting the relationship of sleep schedule and time of day on cognitive performance. Dr. Hursh retired from military service in 1995 with the ultimate rank of Colonel and position of Director, Division of Neuropsychiatry.
Dr. Hursh’s research accomplishments span two areas with little overlap—indicative of his wide breadth of knowledge, experience, and interest. Dr. Hursh is the third most cited author in the field of behavioral economics, where his work in the area began with published research in 1980. Particularly, his work on behavioral demand has profoundly influenced both basic research and applied practice, especially in the science of substance use disorders, where demand-based approaches have become central for characterizing reinforcing efficacy, predicting risk, and evaluating prevention and treatment strategies.
Separately, Dr. Hursh is a leading scholar in fatigue risk and modeling the relationship between sleep deprivation and performance. His patented model, the Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness (SAFTE®) model, has been accepted by the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation as a tool for predicting accident risk and severity in operational settings. The model can also be used for work scheduling and fatigue assessment. Dr. Hursh has recently focused his attention on sleep physiology through his development of a wearable technology for measuring sleep quality and statistics, tailored to an individual’s unique sleep needs.
Dr. Hursh consults with numerous federal organizations beyond those already named, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration, ensuring his years of expertise and knowledge can be applied to real-world problems. Over the course of his 50 year career, Dr. Hursh has published over 100 articles, book chapters, and technical reports, and served as associate editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Dr. Hursh represents the very best of the field of psychology, expanding collective knowledge and contributing to the betterment of society through his research.
Individuals Honoring Steven R. Hursh
- Reid Blank
- Chris Bubeck, DP Solutions
- Jody Clark Hursh
- Daniel Cooper
- Hans Van Dongen, Washington State University
- Neil Esterson, The Legacy Group, Inc.
- REEA Global
- Donald A. Hantula, Temple University
- Karen Kim
- David Kearns, American University
- Christine Manzone
- Benj Natelson
- Sidney Stevens Negus, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Derek Reed, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Inc.
- Pete Roma, Naval Health Research Center
- David Shurtleff
- Strateben, Inc.
- Justin Strickland, University of Maryland School of Medicine
