This volume unveils the untold personal narratives behind the scientific study of human language and cognition from a behavioral perspective. Moving beyond the formal record of published research, it captures the passion, debates, failures, and moments of discovery that have shaped this transformative field over the past seventy years and beyond. Through these stories, readers gain a deeper understanding of the human experiences that drive the quest to build a natural science of human behavior.
Structured as a compelling historical narrative, the book traces the evolution of the field from Skinner’s Verbal Behavior to groundbreaking developments in rule-governed behavior, stimulus equivalence, relational frame theory, and naming theory. Contributors, ranging from foundational figures to contemporary innovators, share candid accounts of intellectual rebellion, collaboration, mentorship, and the challenges of translating complex science into practice. These narratives highlight the pivotal role of global exchange, persistence, and the lived experiences of scientists in advancing the field.
This book is an essential resource for scholars, students, researchers, and practitioners in behavior analysis and psychology, as well as historians and philosophers of science. Its engaging and personal storytelling makes it ideal for graduate and undergraduate courses, while offering invaluable insights for anyone curious about the history of science and the people who shape it.
Table of Contents:
Foreword. Prologue. The Story Behind the Stories. Chapter 1. Personal Narratives: So Much More Than Just the Names on the Title Page. Section 1. The 1960s and 1970s: The Headwaters. Chapter 2. Verbal Governance and the Shaping of Verbal Behavior: A Case History. Chapter 3. How Did I Get From There to Here? Chapter 4. A Tale of Serendipity: My Research Story. Chapter 5. Some Short Notes on a Long Career. Chapter 6. Rule-following as an Operant: Early Research on Verbal Governance of Behavior. Chapter 7. In Pursuit of a Comprehensive Technology of Education: An Interview with Kent Johnson. Chapter 8. The Origination of RFT: A Personal Narrative. Chapter 9. ROE-M’ing through Behavior Analysis with a Child Psychiatrist. Chapter 10. That’s a Wrap. Section 2. The 1980s: Currents Converge. Chapter 11. Around the World of the Behavior Analysis of Language and Cognition. Chapter 12. From the Rat’s Paw to the Written Word: A Behavior Analyst's Journey. Chapter 13. A Life in Language: Cognition to Social Science to Behavior Analysis to Social Contextual Analysis. Chapter 14. Conceptual Deconstruction Precedes Theoretical Reconstruction: A Career in Search of Psychological Behavior. Chapter 15. The Experience of Connecting Points. Chapter 16. The Shaping of a Verbal Repertoire. Chapter 17. The Behavioral Technology Group at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center (1983–2016): Recollections and Reflections. Chapter 18. Reflections on the Unfolding of an Equivalence Lab. Chapter 19. Memories of “Memory.” Chapter 20. My Multicultural Journey to Becoming a Behavior Analyst. Chapter 21. Eight Insights from an Emergent Obsession with Translating the Covenant. Section 3. The 1990s: Battle Lines Drawn. Chapter 22. Verbal Behavior and Equivalence: A Laboratory History Built on the Shoulders of Two Giants. Chapter 23. My Life in the Margins. Chapter 24. Insights into the Origin of Complex Human Skills. Chapter 25. Choices Established by Contingencies in Studying Verbal Behavior. Chapter 26. Stumbling my Way to the Middle Path. Chapter 27. A Cat Among the Ermines: A Psychiatrist’s Journey into Behavior Analysis. Chapter 28. Building Bridges: A Personal Reflection on the Behavior Analysis of Language and Cognition. Chapter 29. Theory and Translation: A Research Tale in Four Movements. Chapter 30. From Theory to Research & Applications in Organizations and Beyond. Section 4. The 2000s: Mapping Territory and Building Cities. Chapter 31. Chances and Necessities in a Scientific Career. Chapter 32. A Scientific Life in Stimulus Control and Emergent Relations. Chapter 33. The Global Crisis in Mental Health Needs a Radical Behavioral Solution. Chapter 34. Almería, Late 90’s Early 2000’s: The Right Place for a Behavior-analytic Apprentice. Chapter 35. From Philosophy and English to Psychology and Behaviour Analysis: Some Important Influences on my Research Career. Chapter 36. What I Learned From Children About Verbal Behavior. Chapter 37. Language Acquisition in Children with Hard of Hearing: Contributions of the Stimulus Equivalence Paradigm. Chapter 38. An Experimental Analysis of Bidirectional Naming and Other Symbolic Behavior. Chapter 39. Working to Broaden My Vision and Open My Heart: A Behavior Analyst's Research Story. Chapter 40. Let Me Hear . . .: Echoes of Experiences from the Field. Chapter 41. From Foundations to Frontiers: A Personal Narrative of a Journey in the Behavior Analysis of Language and Cognition. Chapter 42. The Making of a Behavior Analyst. Chapter 43. Influences, My Behavior Has Many. Section 5. The 2010s-Present Day: Bridging the Divides and Cultivating a Common Field. Chapter 44. A Winding Road: Reconciling What Seemed Incompatible. Chapter 45. Carrying the Legacy of my Heroes. Chapter 46. Complexity: An Evolving Story of Research and Practice. Chapter 47. Converging Paths: A Shared Journey in Behavior Analysis. Chapter 48. I am…. A researcher? Navigating the Spaces Between. Chapter 49. Aiming to Unravel the Mysteries of Verbal Behavior: My Personal Odyssey. Chapter 50. Tackling Racial Prejudice One Relation at a Time. Epilogue.
About the Author :
About the Authors
Colin Harte
Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology for Behavior, Cognition, and Teaching (INCT-ECCE), Brazil
Colin Harte is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Federal University of Sao Carlos. His career to date has primarily focused on the behavior-analytic study of human language and cognition, as well as advocating for more cooperation and collaboration within the field’s approach to this domain.
Dermot Barnes-Holmes
Ulster University, Northern Ireland
Dermot Barnes-Holmes is a Professor in the School of Psychology at Ulster University and has published widely on relational frame theory and related areas in behavior analysis.
Maithri Sivaraman
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA
Maithri Sivaraman is an Assistant Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. She studies language acquisition in neurotypical and neurodivergent children. Prior to her current position, she established the Tendrils Centre for Autism in India, offering services for neurodivergent children. She writes a blog on early childhood development for Psychology Today.
Julio C. de Rose
Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology for Behavior, Cognition, and Teaching (INCT-ECCE), Brazil
Julio de Rose is a Professor at the Department of Psychology at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil, and Research Director of the National Institute of Science and Technology on Behavior, Cognition, and Teaching (INCT-ECC), from 2017 to 2025.
Julian C. Leslie
Ulster University, Northern Ireland
Following a doctorate at Oxford University, Julian Leslie has taught and researched behavior analysis in Northern Ireland for 50 years. He has authored several textbooks and was co-founder of the Behavior Analysis in Ireland group. He is a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International.
Review :
'This extraordinary book documents the empirical and social journey its authors meticulously traveled in their successful quest to: 1) demolish the spurious mechanistic reputation of behavior analysis and 2) demonstrate its rightful role as the most comprehensive science of human behavior in existence.'
Patrick Friman, PhD, Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health, Emeritus, Boys Town; Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center
'This book offers a fascinating and engaging journey through the history of behavior analysis and verbal behavior. With clarity and warmth, it weaves together the professional trajectories of the field’s pioneers and showcases their discoveries. As a colleague and fellow behavior analyst, I found it both inspiring and deeply meaningful.'
Martha Pelaez, PhD, Frost Professor of Developmental Psychology, Florida International University
