OUTLINING A DIALOGUE BETWEEN SIDMAN AND HAYES ABOUT EMERGENT RELATIONS (1982-1994)

Stimulus equivalence, as presented by Sidman and his colleagues, relational frame theory, proposed Hayes are two of the main alternatives for explaining emergent relations between stimuli. The goal this study is to analyze Hayes’s criticisms Sidman’s conceptual contributions 1982 1994. colleagues deviated from when former argued following: contingencies that systematically arranged a verbal community seem be necessary emergence stimulus equivalence; concept equivalence fails explain why nonverbal animals not capable demonstrating merely descriptive lacks theoretical explanation phenomenon. In turn, confronted some these issues theory based on hypothetical generalized operant behaviors, without simple known behavioral principles supporting data. He pointed various experimental studies should carried out tackle divergences had appeared.