cognition

An interactive, multimedia tutorial that will help you master the key concepts, terms, and approach of B.F. Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior and language

In 1957, B.F. Skinner published the book Verbal Behavior. In 1959, a young linguist named Noam Chomsky published a review of that book that sharply criticized Skinner’s behaviorism in general and his behavioral approach to language acquisition in particular. The debate between the pragmatism of Skinner and the structuralism of Chomsky continues to this day. Now hear directly from both men, in a series of archival interviews and speeches spanning several decades, as they address the philosophical and practical differences between their approaches.

Begin exploring the differences and similarities between B.F. Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior (VB) and relational frame theory (RFT) with this collection of article quizzes. You will learn how RFT extends Skinner’s interpretation of metaphor, an approach to synthesizing both RFT and Skinner’s VB, and an overview of what RFT is and why it has been controversial in behavior analysis. This focus pack includes three quizzes based on these articles and a final, integrative quiz that encourages comparison and synthesis.

In 2001, the first book-length treatment of relational frame theory (RFT) was published. It spawned several reviews and critiques in behavior-analytic journals, including prominent ones by Mark Galizio and David Palmer. Two of the lead authors of the RFT book (Steve Hayes and Dermot Barnes-Holmes) published a response to those critiques. Then, in 2011, Jack Michael, David Palmer, and Mark Sundberg published an article on multiple control, which they assert can account for derived relations and naming. In this focus pack, you will read all of these articles to gain a better understanding of the advanced topics surrounding the analysis of complex human behavior.