THE ROLE OF VERBAL BEHAVIOR IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS

Abstract

Over the last 50 years, the variables established by B. F. Skinner in his work, Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957), have been taken into account in both empirical and theoretical research. Although historically the initial impact of Skinner's work was lower than expected, even in the areas most closely related to verbal behavior (e.g., naming, equivalence classes, rule-governed behavior), only recently have efforts focused on the analysis of verbal behavior in the context of the therapeutic process and clinical change. This paper highlights the crucial role of verbal behavior in the clinical setting by maintaining operant terminology and drawing attention specifically to the analysis of the therapist’s verbal behavior during sessions. In addition, it analyzes the role of verbal behavior in the form of instructional control and rule-governed behavior in the client-therapist interaction. The article concludes that questions regarding the status, function and variables that influence the verbal behavior generated in therapy sessions cannot yet be answered clearly and remain key objects of study.