The Duplic and Codic: the Importance of a Consistent Taxonomy of Verbal Behavior

Behavior analysts operationally define relations among environmental stimuli and behavior both functionally and topographically, and an insistence on objectivity, precision, reliability, and accuracy for technical descriptions and definitions is a unique and defining characteristic of the field. However, occasionally, technical terms are inconsistently used by behavior-analytic educators, researchers, and practitioners, and these inconsistencies should be addressed. Because they can pose conceptual and practical issues if not fixed, terminological inconsistencies are not merely inconveniences. In the current paper, we identified and explained terminological inconsistencies with the usage of the term transcription in published behavior-analytic textbooks, manuals, and other reference materials. In addition, we revisited previous analyses and recommendations and restated the need for clarity in a verbal operant taxonomy, particularly for instructors, trainers, and authors of future textbooks, trainings, and manuals.