Webinar Series
From Persistent Rule-following to Political Polarization: Building an International Research Network (and What I Learned Along the Way)
Colin Harte (Federal University of São Carlos)
Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM Eastern
Abstract: In this webinar, I trace my behavior-analytic research path from Ireland to Belgium to Brazil, while reflecting on how international collaboration shaped my scientific career. In so doing, I describe how a serendipitous introduction to relational frame theory led to a doctoral program on persistent derived rule-following and, ultimately, to an international research network spanning three continents. Alongside some substantive research findings, I discuss more recent work extending these analyses to political polarization. Drawing on these experiences, I offer reflections for students and early-career researchers on building and sustaining collaborations abroad: finding and approaching potential mentors, navigating funding and mobility, and following the data (and one's bliss) across borders. The talk aims to be useful to anyone considering an international academic career.
Instruction Level: Basic
CE Available: BACB / IBAO / PSY
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe how different variables have been manipulated to investigate persistent rule-following when reinforcement contingencies are reversed.
- Explain how relational frame theory has begun to be extended to analyses of political polarization.
- Identify strategies for initiating international research collaborations as a student or early-career researcher.
- Consider some of the differences in career trajectories and funding/mobility pathways available to behavior analysts in different national contexts.
Target Audience: Students and early-career researchers
Biography: Dr. Colin Harte received his PhD from Ghent University in Belgium, and his bachelors and masters degrees from Maynooth University in Ireland. He is currently a senior research fellow at the Federal University of São Carlos in Brazil, and a recent recipient of São Paulo Research Foundation’s (FAPESP) prestigious Generation Project award. Colin’s work to date has largely focused on the empirical and conceptual development of relational frame theory (RFT), and its application to analyses of persistent rule-following, human psychological suffering, and social issues such as political polarization. In recent years, Colin has also been interested in exploring how connecting RFT more closely with Kantorian interbehaviorism might advance analyses of complex human language and cognition.
CE, Learning Center Video and Quiz