Personal Narratives on the Behavior Analysis of Human Language and Cognition: Stories from Around the World (Behavior Science)

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 r