A Relational Frame Theory Approach to Understanding Perspective-Taking Using Children’s Stories in Typically Developing Children

Perspective-taking is a relatively new topic to the field of behavior analysis and has become of paramount interest for those examining complex behavior and cognition. Relational Frame Theory proposes that the emergence of deictic frames may be the basis of the ability to change perspective between such frames as I-You, Here-There, and Now-Then and that this ability arises from a history of reinforcement with multiple exemplars in which the speaker receives direct reinforcement for changing perspective between person, time, and place. Previous studies employing the Barnes-Holmes (2001) protocol showed that derived relational responding is involved in perspective-taking. The purpose of the present study was to develop a more naturalistic evaluation of the relational responding involved in perspective-taking. This study utilized a novel protocol in which the speaker was required to change perspective over the course of listening to children’s stories. Training using multiple exemplars was provided for deficits in the perspective-taking relations between I-Character, Here-There, and Now-Then. Results indicate that multiple exemplar training is effective in providing the history that will allow a child to respond appropriately to novel perspective-taking relations.