The Future of Verbal Behavior: Collaboration and Inclusivity

Abstract

As a member of the incoming editorial team, I have been asked to speak to the future of verbal behavior research and of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, considering questions about the direction of the field, the future path of the journal, and the message I would have for the next generation of researchers. In considering these questions, I propose that we ground strategic decision-making processes in values of collaboration and inclusivity, toward valued outcomes that include diversity and innovation, which I see as necessary for improving both practice and conceptual understanding, the traditionally stated aims of this community. Over 60 years have passed since the publication of Verbal Behavior, and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB) has been in existence for more than half of that time. A common task in the history of this journal has been to take stock-some of the first articles were reference lists (e.g., Sundberg & Partington, 1982, 1983), identifying publications and presentations that had used Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, and charting the growth in those publications. Twenty years ago, TAVB partially dedicated a special issue considering the status and future of verbal behavior research, and the editorial team today has been asked to consider the same kinds of questions as we look ahead to the future: Where do we see the field moving over the next decade? What messages do we have for the next generation of researchers? What do we see as the future for TAVB itself-how might the journal look different from the past as the field grows, and what should make TAVB the first choice for authors engaged in verbal behavior research? TAVB is the reflection and product of a particular scientific culture: the work of a community of researchers and scientist-practitioners who share a common goal of promoting effective behavior-analytic practice, specifically with respect to a behavioral The Analysis of Verbal Behavior https://doi.