The Cutting Edge of Symbolic Language and Thought: An Upcoming Special Issue of The Psychological Record

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AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

A stencil of John Cleese, well known for the show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a famous tagline of which was “And now for something completely different!”
r2hox from Madrid, Spain, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This month we will take a short break from our regularly scheduled programming of hearing about the fantastic research stories of individuals in the field interested in symbolic language and thought to talk about an exciting upcoming Special Issue (SI) of The Psychological Record (TPR) that we think you might be interested in. Let us back up a little…

When we first took over the Symbolic Language and Thought blog series, we lamented the unfortunate silo mentality that had seemed to take hold within the field, and made it our aim for our time curating the series to encourage cooperation and collaboration by inviting a wide range of folks to tell their personal research stories (read more about this goal in our initial blog by clicking here). This is still an ongoing effort (although we suspect it will soon be time to hand over the reins to some fresh blood as it were), but we believe we have successfully showcased some of the incredible work and personal journeys of behavior-analytic researchers and practitioners across the series to date, both early career and well-established. 

Of course, such a mission (breaking down well-entrenched research-silos) needs a multi-pronged approach, and there are many more than just us pushing this effort. For example, a number articles written by the 2018 incoming editorial team of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior argued that to really advance and move forward, the field would need more collaboration and inclusivity (Ming, 2018), and more integration among different silos (Fienup, 2018; see also Rosales, 2018). While important strides have been made to that effect, we still have a ways to go and should not yet take our foot off the accelerator! 

So, with this same mission in mind, we sought another angle of attack. Specifically, we decided to put together an SI of TPR seeking to showcase the vibrant and diverse study of human language and cognition within modern behavior analysis, and to hopefully highlight our mutual interests toward building a naturalistic account of human language and cognition. And importantly, we sought to do so in a manner that could facilitate ongoing collaboration, or at least mutual interest in each other’s efforts. TPR has historically published a large chunk of the behavior-analytic studies on symbolic language and thought, and has strived to do so while positioned firmly from a monistic and naturalistic viewpoint. Indeed, the journal was founded by the renowned interbehaviorist, J.R. Kantor, who pioneered a naturalistic account of human language since the 1930’s (Kantor, 1936; see also Kantor, 1977). What’s more, B.F. Skinner was the first experimental editor of the journal. So, TPR seemed like the perfect home for such a showcase. 

Colin’s copy of “Leslie & Blackman (2000). Experimental and Applied Analyses of Human Behavior.”
Julian Leslie

Naturally, we did not think that just the two of us could carry such a weight, so we sought help from a number of experienced heavy-weights in the field. First, Julian Leslie. Julian’s contribution to the field of behavior analysis, most notably in Ireland, the UK, and wider Europe, cannot be understated. In fact, Julian was largely responsible for establishing and growing the behavior-analytic tradition in Ireland in the 1970’s. In addition, his academic lineage can be traced back to some of the most prominent and influential figures in the field. For example, he was mentored at Oxford University by Jock Millenson (a contemporary of Murray Sidman’s, both of whom were mentored by Nat Schoenfeld) and went on to co-author with Millenson a foundational textbook of the field, Principles of Behavior Analysis (Millenson & Leslie, 1979). What’s more, Julian had already curated (along with Derek Blackman) a similarly themed collection of articles back in 2000 in the form of an edited volume titled Experimental and Applied Analyses of Human Behavior. This wonderful volume presented a collection of articles by prominent figures in the field following a European Association of Behavior Analysis meeting in 1997, and is absolutely worth a look if you can get your hands on a copy. Also worth highlighting about Julian are his ongoing efforts to explore ways in which behavior analysis can integrate with areas outside of the field, another trait that made him perfect for the SI editorial team. Julian wrote a great blog for us a while back that gives more details about his incredible research story and a glimpse into his illustrious career to date — you should definitely check it out if you haven’t already done so (click here).

Julio de Rose

Next, Julio de Rose. Julio is another who’s contribution to the field cannot be underestimated. He has worked closely with some of the greats like Murray Sidman, and published widely in the area of symbolic language and derived relations (among others), including seminal work on transfer of function (de Rose et al., 1988). What’s more, Julio co-founded a large Brazilian state funded research network on Behavior, Cognition, and Teaching, which later became the even larger National Institute for Science and Technology for Behavior, Cognition, and Teaching; INCT-ECCE. The institute alone has supported an incredible contribution to the field at large, having to date been associated with the publication of over 500 peer reviewed articles in prominent journals of the discipline (not counting book chapters and other important publications). Julio’s dedication to research can also be readily gleamed from the fact that he served as a coordinator of the Human and Social Sciences faction of Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) from 2009 to 2021, one of the primary research funders in Sao Paulo state with a rich history of supporting beahvior-analytic research in Brazil (indeed, Colin’s post-doctoral research has been funded by FAPESP since the end of 2021). As with Julian, we could not do adequate service to portray Julio’s contribution to the field here, but he also wrote a blog for us a while back detailing some elements of his fascinating research story that you should definitely check out if you have not done so already (click here). I think our Brazilian colleagues, among many others, would agree that the man is nothing short of a legend. 

Maithri Sivaraman

Finally, we recruited the help of Maithri Sivaraman, a rising star in the field who has recently worked closely with Dermot, Doug Greer and Dan Fienup (among others) on providing a tangible example of the very message we have been pushing. Specifically, they have been working on showing just how building meaningful bridges across silos (RFT and VBDT) can move the field forward (Sivaraman et al., 2023). Maithri is a force to be reckoned with in her own right, though, beyond the incredible people she has worked with, having secured a professorship at Teachers College at Columbia University and recently being appointed an Associate Editor at TPR (just two among many other impressive accomplishments). Her research story is also a rich and fascinating journey, more of which you can (and should) read about in a previous blog (click here).

So, with our team assembled, and with the approval and encouragement of the Editor-in-Chief at the time, Mitch Fryling, we posted the following open call on the TPR website:

“Despite different theoretical particularities, the study of human language and cognition within behavior-analysis seeks to develop a monistic, naturalistic account of human language and cognition that is devoid of mentalistic theorizing and speaks directly to practical concerns in educational, clinical, organizational, and other settings. The current special issue is intended to highlight such work from various areas in behavior analysis while focusing on a general theme of collaboration and cooperation among approaches. The focus of this call is primarily on conceptual/review pieces. Thus, while presenting data is encouraged, such presentations should be embedded within a broader conceptual narrative. Given the focus on collaboration and cooperation among different approaches within behavior analysis, submissions that seek to find areas of commonality and overlap between and /or among different approaches is highly encouraged. In this vein, submissions should make a genuine effort to contribute towards the building of a community of behavior-analytic researchers who are focused on human language and cognition. In doing so, it is important that authors seek to build bridges with other approaches rather than simply affirming already entrenched positions. Manuscripts will undergo regular peer review and in submitting a manuscript be sure to indicate that it is for this special issue.“

This open call resulted in the collection of a final 19 articles, all subjected to thorough peer review. Most, but not all, of these are already available online, but we thought drawing attention to them as a collection within this theme, before their formal publication within the December issue of TPR (or January at the very latest should there be any unforeseen delays), would be worthwhile and may be of interest. 

So, let’s take a quick overview. The SI opens with an Introductory article by the editorial team we introduced you to above, within which we summarise the SI contents, but also reflect on the behavior-analytic study of human language and cognition writ large, focusing on our core goals and aims, as well as some overarching take-home messages from the SI collection of articles. This has not yet been published online but keep an eye out. The SI closes with an unsurprisingly insightful editorial conclusion by Linda Hayes and Mitch Fryling, which has also not yet been published online (but stay tuned!). The articles that sit within these two bookends were sorted into three broad thematic clusters. Here is a sort of Table of Contents of what you can expect (if a given article is already available to view online, click that article title to go to its journal page):

Cluster 1: Articles that reflect directly on different theoretical perspectives, often making explicit efforts to integrate or point to areas of commonality 

Cluster 2: Articles that describe novel analytic approaches to the study of human language and cognition

Cluster 3: Articles that provide an overview of a particular thematic area

While we don’t have the time or space to break down each of these fantastic pieces, even from the titles you will likely have noticed the diverse range of important issues tackled, some applied in focus, others more basic, and with considerable implications for both theory and practice. The move toward non-linear and dynamical analyses should also be noted, as well as the presence of important interbehavioral voices. Without giving away too many spoilers, we will leave you with the following short excerpt from our Introductory article that reflects on part of the legacy that has brought us to this point in the development of our science and to this SI: 

“In 1936, J.R. Kantor (the founder of this very journal) offered a naturalistic treatment of human language as referential and symbolic (see also Kantor, 1977), followed in 1957 by Skinner’s text, Verbal Behavior. Skinner subsequently outlined what he termed rule-governed beahvior as a critical element of human language (1966). Then, in 1971, Sidman published the first empirical analysis of equivalence class formation, providing the beginnings of what would become a functional-analytic account of what may be meant by specification, reference, and symbolic control. And the rest, as they say, is history. Twenty two years later, in 1993, this very journal published a special issue of articles that summarized the rapidly growing state of the art in the area of equivalence classes (Fields, 1993a; see Fields, 1993b, for an overview of that issue). As pointed out in a personal communication by the editor of that issue, a contributor to the current special issue, and indeed a prominent contributor to the area at large, Dr Lanny Fields, it is somewhat serendipitous that the current collection of articles has come to fruition another 30 or so years after the 1993 publication, providing another snapshot of the further relevant extensions and advances in the behavior-analytic study of human language and cognition. Given the health of the field in 2024 as evidenced by the articles in the current volume, we are excited to see what the next 30 years holds. May we continue to resist getting sucked into the mentalistic “gravity well” that is dualistic thinking (Barnes-Holmes et al., 2019), and progress together in our commitment to the development of a monistic and naturalistic science of human language and cognition.“ (Harte et al., In press)

So, dear reader, we hope that you enjoy this collection of pieces as much as we enjoyed curating them, and may they inspire you (as they did us) to look forward toward an exciting shared future for the behavior-analytic study of human language and cognition.

Colin and Dermot

References

de Rose, J.C., McIlvane, W.J., Dube, W.V., Galpin, V.C., & Stoddard, L.T. (1988). Emergent simple discrimination established by indirect relation to differential consequences. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 50(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1901/jeab.1988.50-1

Fienup, D.M. (2018). The future of verbal behavior: Integration. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 34, 18-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-018-0108-z

Harte, C. & Barnes-Holmes, D. (May 27, 2021). Escaping our research silos in rising to the challenge of human psychology. Behavior Analysis Blogs: Symbolic Language and Thought. https://science.abainternational.org/2021/05/27/escaping-our-research-silos-in-rising-to-the-challenge-of-human-psychology/

Harte, C., Barnes-Holmes, D., de Rose, J.C., Leslie, J., & Sivaraman, M. (In Press). Leave your weapons at the door: Introduction to the special issue on human language and cognition within modern behavior analysis. The Psychological Record.

Kantor, J.R. (1936). An objective psychology of grammar. Principia.

Kantor, J.R. (1977). Psychological linguistics. Principia.

Leslie, J.C. & Blackman, D.E. (2000). Experimental and applied analyses of human behavior. Context Press.

Millenson, J.R. & Leslie, J.C. (1979). Principles of Behavioral Analysis (Second Ed.). Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. 

Ming, S. (2018). The future of verbal behavior: Collaboration and inclusivity. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 34, 4-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-018-0105-2

Rosales, R. (2018). The future of verbal behavior: Together is better. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 34, 12-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-018-0107-0

Sivaraman, M., Barnes-Holmes, D., Greer, R.D., Fienup, D.M., & Roeyers, H. (2023). Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 119(3), 539-553. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.836

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