Sergio yulis: Past and present of the behavioral approach in Chile

Abstract

The article describes and analyzes the personal, academic, and professional life of Sergio Yulis, pioneer of the behavioral tradition in Chile, in order to understand the past and present of this approach and to disseminate Yulis' legacy in Chilean psychology. A thorough review was conducted of his articles, publications about him, and interviews with his relatives, colleagues, and friends. The events are analyzed in the light of the military dictatorship in Chile (1973-1990) which had an impact not only in political and social areas, but also in academia, as was the case in the weakening of the behavioral approach during this period. Sergio Yulis' main contributions were his purely scientific approach to psychology, his rigorous work as teacher, mentor, professional, and researcher, and his ability to translate research findings into clinically relevant tools. © 2013 by Psykhe.