Perspective Taking as a Continuum

Abstract

In recent years, behavior analysts have given an increasing amount of attention to the topic of perspective taking. However, the construct of perspective taking refers to a number of behaviors that vary along a continuum of complexity. Moreover, it is possible that verbal behavior plays a special participatory role in perspective taking. The current paper proposes a continuum of perspective taking behavior, ranging from relatively simple to complex types. After describing this continuum, the role of verbal behavior in perspective taking is considered. The implications of our analysis and avenues for further research are provided.