ABREU, Paulo Roberto    HUBNER, Maria Martha Costa. Verbal behavior for B. F. Skinner and S. C. Hayes: a synthesis based on the arbitrary social mediation of reinforcement. []. , 20, 3, pp.367-381. ISSN 0188-8145.

The definition of Skinner's verbal behavior did not generate consensus among behavior analysts according to their adequacy in studying the phenomenon of language. So it has spawned other explanatory proposals. The most relevant criticism has Steven Hayes as the main proponent. Together with his collaborators, the author asserts that a definition mainly from the history of the speaker would not be functional because it not addresses separately the history of the listener with respect to verbal stimuli. In the article we analyzed the consistency of his criticism through a review of Skinnerian verbal operants. We investigate in Hayes' conception the processes that occur when arbitrary relations between stimuli are established. According to the authors, that phenomenon would result in production of verbal behavior. It was concluded by a possible complementation between Hayes and Skinner analysis based on the arbitrary social mediation of reinforcement.

: verbal behavior; relational frame theory; social mediation; arbitrarily applicable relational responding; rule-governed behavior.

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