Toward a science of verbal behavior: Progress and challenges.

Abstract

A fully -developed science of verbal is of greatest priority but has been slow to develop within analysis. Nevertheless, progress continues to be made in number of areas, especially in acquisition of verbal repertoires and in experimental analysis of symbolic functions. Several other areas of research await further development, and formidable methodological challenges await larger development of verbal field, as powerful and direct methods of analysis confront subtle and awesome complexity of human verbal interactions. The challenge must be faced, however, as analysis actualizes its potential as complete and comprehensive human science, and makes what would be its greatest contribution to future of humankind. ********** In speaking to issues relevant to human verbal behavior, B. F. Skinner made occasional references to what he called, a science of verbal behavior (e.g., Skinner, 1945, 1957). The references appear to be made to specialized and integral part of field of analysis. The references indicate possibility; part of behavioral science not yet developed, but capable of powerful analyses of most conspicuous and unique functions of human beings. Progress has certainly been made toward development of such science, but progress has been slow and many challenges remain. The purpose of this commentary is to provide brief overview of one perspective on progress and challenges involved with developing science of verbal (Leigland, 2001). The various effects of Skinner's (1957) book Verbal Behavior are stuff of legend. The sophistication of book's extensive interpretations were eclipsed for some decades by Chomsky's (1959) notorious polemic, but in recent years there have been signs, beginning perhaps with Andresen (1990), that book may be poised for discovery by larger psychological/linguistic communities. Accompanying this discovery, psychological community will be treated with great irony as well. As research programs on verbal derived from Skinner's work continue to rise and also to prove their worth in applied arena, Chomsky's theories have been increasingly recognized as failures in context of their own goals and explanatory practices (for detailed history by linguist, see Harris, 1993; for an informative overview and update by analyst, see Schoneberger, 2000). Nevertheless, fact that Skinner's (1957) book did not lead rapidly and directly to an organized empirical attack upon new subject matter has been subject of much speculation and commentary. What has happened instead of rapid and direct development of unified experimental program is gradual evolution of several different strategic lines of empirical research. At least in retrospect, such development should not be too surprising, given complexity of subject matter involved. Also, in late 1950s, the experimental analysis of behavior was still primarily in scientific business of relatively simple experimental preparations with non-humans, and was only beginning to move into systematic applications to human behavior. Now, like subject matter itself, analysis of verbal is complex and multifaceted, with researchers pursuing variety of research strategies and themes. In looking briefly at progress of field, two research areas, each important to analysis of verbal behavior, will be reviewed in summary fashion (Leigland, 2001). PROGRESS The first area may be described in general terms as acquisition of verbal repertoires. In analysis, this is area that has been most directly influenced by Skinner's (1957) Verbal Behavior, in that researchers and practitioners make productive use of Skinner's original classification of verbal operants (e. …