Nutrition Education, Behavioral Theories, and the Scientific Method: Another Viewpoint

In a previous viewpoint in this journal, David Buchanan suggested that the scientific model is inappropriate, ineffective, and possibly unethical in nutrition education research and championed the use of a more humanistic model. The purpose of this article is to provide a counterpoint to Buchanan's views. More specifically, this article will provide another interpretation of the current status of the scientific method in the social and behavioral sciences, will examine how the field of nutrition education has benefited from the use of the scientific method to evaluate behavioral theories, and will discuss what we are trying to achieve by using theory in nutrition education.