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Suggested Readings & Helpful Presentations

There are numerous resources for further reading. These are simply a few suggestions and you may find many others helpful. We highly recommend using this list as a starting point from which to begin your journey. We also recommend you click on this link to see a longer list of RFT/Behavior Analysis books and also to use the Publications list as an instrument for guiding your own path of learning.

Top 10 RFT Research Articles

In Spring 2023, the RFT SIG took on the task of developing an unofficial list of top RFT research articles to help people know where to start diving into the literature. The categories were “Just Getting Started” and “Contemporary and Advanced”.

Just Getting Started

  • Hayes, S. C., Law, S., Assemi, K., Falletta-Cowden, N., Shamblin, M., Burleigh, K., ... & Smith, P. (2021). Relating is an operant: A fly over of 35 years of RFT research. Perspectivas em Análise do Comportamento, 12(1), 5-32.
  • Cassidy, S., Roche, B., & O’Hora, D. (2010). Relational frame theory and human intelligence. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 11(1), 37-51.
  • Barnes-Holmes, D., Barnes-Holmes, Y., & Cullinan, V. (2000). Relational frame theory and Skinner’s Verbal Behavior: A possible synthesis. The Behavior Analyst, 23(1), 69-84.
  • Ming, S., Moran, L., & Stewart, I. (2014). Derived relational responding and generative language: Applications and future directions for teaching individuals with autism spectrum disorders. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 15(2), 199-224.
  • Blackledge, J. T. (2003). An introduction to relational frame theory: Basics and applications. The Behavior Analyst Today, 3(4), 421.
  • Stewart, I., McElwee, J., & Ming, S. (2013). Language generativity, response generalization, and derived relational responding. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 29(1), 137-155.
  • Pelaez, M., & Monlux, K. (2018). Development of communication in infants: Implications for stimulus relations research. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41(1), 175-188.
  • McEnteggart, C. (2018). A brief tutorial on acceptance and commitment therapy as seen through the lens of derived stimulus relations. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41(1), 215-227.
  • Healy, O., Barnes‐Holmes, D., & Smeets, P. M. (2000). Derived relational responding as generalized operant behavior. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 74(2), 207-227.
  • Stapleton, A., & McHugh, L. (2021). Healthy selfing: Theoretically optimal environments for the development of tacting and deictic relational responding. Perspectivas em Análise do Comportamento, 12(1), 125-137.

Contemporary and Advanced

  • Kirsten, E. B., & Stewart, I. (2021). Assessing the development of relational framing in young children. The Psychological Record, 72(1), 221-246.
  • Belisle, J., & Dixon, M. R. (2020). Relational density theory: Nonlinearity of equivalence relating examined through higher-order volumetric-mass-density. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 43(1), 259-283.
  • Cummins, J., Nevejans, M., Colbert, D., & De Houwer, J. (2023). On the structure of relational responding. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 27(1), 16-25.
  • Barnes-Holmes, D., Barnes-Holmes, Y., & McEnteggart, C. (2020). Updating RFT (more field than frame) and its implications for process-based therapy. The Psychological Record, 70(1), 605-624.
  • Hayes, L. J., & Fryling, M. J. (2019). Functional and descriptive contextualism. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 14(1), 119-126.
  • Foody, M., Barnes-Holmes, Y., Barnes-Holmes, D., Törneke, N., Luciano, C., Stewart, I., & McEnteggart, C. (2014). RFT for clinical use: The example of metaphor. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 3(4), 305-313.
  • Delabie, M., Cummins, J., Finn, M., & De Houwer, J. (2022). Differential Crel and Cfunc acquisition through stimulus pairing. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 24(1), 112-119.
  • Mulhern, T., Stewart, I., & McElwee, J. (2018). Facilitating relational framing of classification in young children. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 8(1), 55-68.
  • Kirsten, E. B., Stewart, I., & McElwee, J. (2022). Testing and training analogical relational responding in children with and without autism. The Psychological Record, 72(1), 561-583.
  • Stewart, I., Barnes‐Holmes, D., Roche, B., & Smeets, P. M. (2002). A functional‐analytic model of analogy: A relational frame analysis. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 78(3), 375-396. 

General Theory Books on RFT and Contextual Behavior Science

  • Villatte, M., Villatte, J. L., & Hayes, S. C. (2019). Mastering the clinical conversation: Language as intervention. New York: The Guilford Press.
  • Dahl, J., Stewart, I., Martell, C., Kaplan, J. (2014) ACT and RFT in Relationships: Helping Clients Deepen Intimacy and Maintain Healthy Commitments Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relational Frame Theory.
  • Dymond, S., & Roche, B. (Eds.) (2013). Advances in relational frame theory: Research and application. New Harbinger Publications.

  • Törneke, N. (2010). Learning RFT: An introduction to relational frame theory and its clinical applications. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 

    This book is designed to make RFT accessible to clinicians. This book is extremely readable and helps the reader understand behavioral principles, technical terms within RFT, and how to apply RFT across many different areas.

  • Ramnero, J., & Törneke, N. (2008). ABCs of human behavior: Behavioral principles for the practicing clinician. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger & Reno, NV: Context Press.

    The ABCs of Human Behavior offers the practicing clinician a solid and practical introduction to the basics of modern behavioral psychology. The book focuses both on the classical principles of learning as well as more recent developments that explain language and cognition in behavioral and contextual terms. These principles are not just discussed in the abstract—rather the book shows how the principles of learning apply in a clinical context. Practical and easy to read, the book walks you through both common sense and clinical examples that will help you use behavioral principles to observe, explain, and influence behavior in a therapeutic setting.

  • Hayes, S. C., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Roche, B. (Eds.). (2001). Relational Frame Theory: A Post-Skinnerian account of human language and cognition. New York: Plenum Press.

    This book may be one of the most difficult to read, but it is also the most thorough account of RFT principles and we highly recommend reading it (at some point) to gain a thorough and working understanding of RFT. Suggestion: do the RFT tutorial first. Read chapters 1 to 8, not stopping when you do not understand. Then pause and re-read Chapter 8. Then re-read the whole book and now you can stop and try to figure out what you do not understand. Don't worry. You will survive it.

  • Hayes, S. C. (Ed.). (1989/2004). Rule governed behavior: Cognition, contingencies, and instructional control. New York: Plenum / reprinted in 2004 by Context Press.

    One of the first full-length presentations of the ACT / RFT model is in three chapters in this book on the topic. This book is now available in paperback from Context Press.

Special Issues

Conceptual Developments in Relational Frame Theory: Research and Practice. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science.

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