Hyman Hops received his PhD from the University of Oregon in 1971 after emigrating from Canada. His initial theoretical interests were derived from studying with two of the original Social Learning theorists, Dick Walters at the University of Toronto and Jerry Patterson at the University of Oregon. His practical interests derived from collaborating with Hill Walker at the University of Oregon. His research evolved over four decades primarily in the study and treatment of problematic behavior in children and families in multiple settings that included the school, home, clinic, and peer group. Three longitudinal studies, across multiple generations, and using multiple methods of assessment, with primary emphasis on the direct observation of parent-child, spousal, and adult friend interactions, have focused on the intergenerational transmission of aggressive, depressive and substance use behaviors.

Recent foci have included the treatment of adolescent drug abuse and high-risk sexual behavior within cross-cultural contexts, the examination of substance-abuse treatments on HIV-risk behaviors, a collaborative study on behavior-genetic factors in tobacco use, the integration of fMRI with treatments for methamphetamine-abusing teens, and the development of adaptive treatment methods for drug-abusing adolescents.