Relational frame theory (RFT) is a psychological theory of human language, cognition, and behaviour. It was developed originally by Steven C. Hayes of University of Nevada, Reno and has been extended in research, notably by Dermot Barnes-Holmes and colleagues of Ghent University.
Relational frame theory argues that the building block of human language and higher cognition is relating, i.e. the human ability to create bidirectional links between things. It can be contrasted with associative learning, which discusses how animals form links between stimuli in the form of the strength of associations in memory. However, relational frame theory argues that natural human language typically specifies not just the strength of a link between stimuli but also the type of relation as well as the dimension along which they are to be related. For example, a tennis ball could be associated with an orange, by virtue of having the same shape, but it is different because it is not edible, and is perhaps a different color. In the preceding sentence, 'same', 'different' and 'not' are cues in the environment that specify the type of relation between the stimuli, and 'shape', 'colour' and 'edible' specify the dimension along which each relation is to be made. Relational frame theory argues that while there are an arbitrary number of types of relations and number of dimensions along which stimuli can be related, the core unit of relating is an essential building block for much of what is commonly referred to as human language or higher cognition.
Several hundred studies have explored many testable aspects and implications of the theory such as the emergence of specific frames in childhood, how individual frames can be combined to create verbally complex phenomena such as metaphors and analogies, and how the rigidity or automaticity of relating within certain domains is related to psychopathology. In attempting to describe a fundamental building block of human language and higher cognition, RFT explicitly states that its goal is to provide a general theory of psychology that can provide a bedrock for multiple domains and levels of analysis.
Relational frame theory focuses on how humans learn language (i.e., communication) through interactions with the environment and is based on a philosophical approach referred to as functional contextualism.
Overview
Introduction
Relational frame theory (RFT) is a behavioral theory of human language. It is rooted in functional contextualism and focused on predicting and influencing verbal behavior with precision, scope and depth.
Relational framing is relational responding based on arbitrarily applicable relations and arbitrary stimulus functions. The relational responding is subject to mutual entailment, combinatorial mutual entailment and transformation of stimulus functions. The relations and stimulus functions are controlled by contextual cues.
Contextual cues and stimulus functions
In human language a word, sentence or a symbol (e.g. stimulus) can have a different meaning (e.g. functions), depending on context.
In terms of RFT, it is said that in human language a stimulus can have different stimulus functions depending on contextual cues.
Take these two sentences for example:
This task is a piece of cake. Yes, I would like a piece of that delicious cake you've made.
In the sentences above the stimulus "cake" has two different functions. The stimulus "cake" has a figurative function in the presence of the contextual cues "this task; is; piece of". Whereas in the presence of the contextual cues "I; would like; delicious; you've made" the stimulus "cake" has a more literal function. The functions of stimuli are called stimulus functions, Cfunc for short.
When stimulus function refer to physical properties of the stimulus, such as quantity, colour, shape, etc., they are called nonarbitrary stimulus functions. When a stimulus function refers to non-physical properties of the stimulus, such as value, they are called arbitrary stimulus functions. For example, a one dollar bill. The value of the one dollar bill is an arbitrary stimulus function, but the colour green is a nonarbitrary stimulus function of the one dollar bill.
Arbitrarily applicable relational responding
Arbitrarily applicable relational responding is a form of relational responding.