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Is Reference a Relation of Equivalence or Sameness?
1Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz, Bogotá, Colombia.
Perspectives on Behavior Science
|January 19, 2026
Summary
Stimulus equivalence (SE) and relational frame theory (RFT) may not fully explain symbolic behavior. The referential relation between words and their meanings is asymmetrical, challenging core assumptions of equivalence and sameness in behavior analysis.
Area of Science:
- Behavior Analysis
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- The stimulus equivalence (SE) paradigm is a key framework for understanding symbolic behavior.
- SE assumes symbolic behavior is based on equivalent relations between words and referents.
- Relational frame theory (RFT) also utilizes equivalence, framing it as sameness within coordination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the core assumptions of the stimulus equivalence (SE) paradigm.
- To examine whether the referential relation between words and referents can be characterized as equivalence.
- To explore alternative explanations for symbolic behavior in behavior analysis.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of the referential relation.
- Examination of SE and RFT assumptions.
- Critique of supporting principles like Fields-Place and contextual control.
Main Results:
- The referential relation is not reflexive, symmetrical, or transitive, thus not an equivalence relation.
- Attempts to establish equivalence or sameness for the referential relation fail.
- Functional asymmetry exists between speaker and listener behavior, which SE and RFT paradigms do not capture.
Conclusions:
- The equivalence assumption in SE and RFT is invalid for explaining the referential relation.
- Symbolic behavior requires acknowledging the asymmetry in the referential relation.
- Further research is needed to understand symbolic behavior from a behavior analysis perspective, accounting for this asymmetry.
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