ABSTRACT

The study of behavioral rhythms has been driven, in large part, by a desire to understand and improve the functioning of workers whose jobs require odd hours, or sustained attention to particular tasks. To some extent, this has resulted in a reversal in the normal way scientists approach a problem. The usual procedure in the biological sciences is first to study a problem in the laboratory, where as many as possible of the variables that are of presumed importance can be controlled. When a data base has been established, and certain generalizations appear to hold under controlled conditions, studies are then carried out under the somewhat less controlled conditions that exist outside the laboratory, and finally, in the actual situations of interest. It is usual to categorize the first phase in this process as “basic” research, and the latter phases as progressively more “applied” research. This is not a one-way path, however. Frequently, investigators on the applied end of the continuum provide a stimulus for additional basic research as well. Through this interactive process, the state of knowledge in the area grows, and the success of applied ventures becomes greater.