Association for Behavior Analysis International

From the viewpoint of a natural science of behavior, language acquisition is a developmental process.. In this paper we present the core principles of behavioral systems theory (BST) combining current developmental systems concepts with behavioral ones. We outline the core principles of BST relevant to early language development. Developmental changes are marked by the transactions between genetic inheritance, interactional history, current physiological and environmental conditions, and behavior dynamics. Contingencies operating in the young child’s current social environment are catalysts coalescing conditions into organized patterns of verbal behavior. Some of these emergent patterns allow verbal behavioral cusps to develop. Early language skills are the result of an intensive, intuitive, and naturally occurring learning process consisting of reciprocal contingent interactions between children and caregivers. This naturally occurring process resembles the use of multiple exemplar training procedures employed by researchers in training language skills in children. We explore the role of basic cusps in early childhood including orienting responses, eye contact, joint attention, social referencing, manding, tacting, naming, intraverbals, autoclitics generalized vocal imitation, and stimulus equivalence. These cusps facilitate the emergence of new and more advanced socio-cognitive skills later in childhood such as perspective taking and complex rule-following.

Behavior analysts, researchers, individuals interested in language development

Martha Pelaez is a Frost Professor of Psychology at the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education (CASE), School of Human Development, Florida International University. Dr. Pelaez teaches courses in Educational Psychology, Child Development, Single-Subject Designs, and directs infant and early childhood research. Her research has been supported by NIH and March of Dimes. Dr. Pelaez research involves mother-infant interactions and early social–learning processes, as well design applied early interventions with infants with developmental delays, child depression, early signs of autism, and language development Dr. Pelaez has published more than 100 articles in refereed journals (including the American Psychologist, Child Development, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Analysis in Practice, and Perspectives on Behavior Science), dozens of chapters and monographs, and an influential textbook on Child Development (with Novak, 2004, 2022).  Professor Pelaez is the founding editor of the Behavior Development Bulletin (1990-2017) and has been a member of nine editorial boards of refereed journals, including the European Journal of Behavior Analysis and Perspectives on Behavior Science. She has received Fellowship status from the American Psychological Association (APA) and from the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). Dr. Pelaez is the 2023 recipient of the Nathan H. Azrin Award granted by the American Psychological Association (APA) for her distinguish contributions to applied research with infants. She is a trustee of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies and serves as an At-Large Representative on the Executive Council Board of Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and past member of the Science Board.