Johnson’s behavioral system model has been used in practice and research; as a result, multiple adaptations of this model have appeared in the literature. In response to these additions and...

Johnson’s behavioral system model has been used in practice and research; as a result, multiple adaptations of this model have appeared in the literature. In response to these additions and alterations, Johnson (1990, p. 27) stated, “[T]hese changes are such that they alter the fundamental nature of the behavioral system as originally proposed, and I do not agree with them.” Does the theory belong to the nurse theorist or to the discipline of nursing? Who has the right to add to or alter a theory? Should the theory be altered based on research evidence even if the original nurse theorist is not in agreement, or should the theory be maintained intact as a historical record?