Relating as an operant

Relational responding involves generalized responding in accordance with a pattern of relations between stimuli, rather than responding to a stimulus on the basis of one or a limited number of associations. RFT proposes that relational framing, or relating, is generalized operant behavior.

Like all operants, relational framing is influenced by and can only be understood within its current and historical context. Relational framing also demonstrates the primary characteristics of all operant behavior:

• Acquisition and strengthening over time through a history of reinforcement/multiple exemplar training
• Flexibility/changes in response to changes in the environment
• Influence by antecedent stimulus control
• Influence by consequential stimulus control

Like any other operant, relational framing is a skill that can be fragile (e.g., less widely generalized, with a slow rate of responding) or stronger (e.g. more widely generalized, fluent). Thus, practice in relational framing would be expected to strengthen the operant and result in more fluent responding in any context in which deriving relations is relevant—that is, almost any language-based task. Research on relational training has suggested that not only can multiple exemplar training result in the acquisition of framing repertoires if not already present, but that strengthening existing relational repertoires can result in significant increases in standardized cognitive and academic measures across a range of populations. Such work supports the core RFT thesis that relational framing as an operant is central to human language in all its potential generativity and complexity.

For further reading on relating as an operant, see:

Hayes, S. C., Law, S., Assemi, K., Falletta-Cowden, N., Shamblin, M., Burleigh, K., Olla, R., Forman, M., & Smith, P. (2021). Relating is an Operant: A Fly Over of 35 Years of RFT Research. Perspectivas em Análise do Comportamento. https://doi.org/10.18761/pac.2021.v12.rft.02

Hughes, S., & Barnes‐Holmes, D. (2015). Relational Frame Theory: The Basic Account. In R. D. Zettle, S. C. Hayes, D. Barnes-Holmes, & A. Biglan (Eds.), The Wiley handbook of contextual behavioral science (pp. 129-178). John Wiley & Sons.