In Verbal Behavior, Skinner (1957) provided a conceptual framework and taxonomy for the controlling variables of language that defined independent verbal operants by their functional relations to antecedents and consequences (rather than by topography or meaning). Although professional interest in this area has recently increased within the behavior analytic community, Skinner’s conceptual framework may not yet have fully impacted the experimental literature. This quantitative review of the literature examined the studies on verbal behavior that were empirical in nature, concerned with human verbal behavior, and addressed at least one verbal operant (e.g., mand, tact, echoic, autoclitic, and/or intraverbal behavior) within the experiment. The results of this review suggest that a growing body of research exists to support many of the tenets of Skinner’s conceptualization and taxonomy but many areas of verbal behavior research have yet to be addressed. Continued research in this area is crucial for the development and implementation of effective verbal behavior interventions for people with disabilities. Skinner’s analysis of Verbal Behavior

While Skinner’s work has had a substantial influence on the basic conceptual framework of behavior analysis, several previous reviews have documented that the influence of Verbal Behavior on empirical investigations over the last 48 years has been more limited. McPherson, Bonem, Green, and Osborne (1984) conducted a citation analysis of studies published between 1961 and 1980 for citations of Verbal Behavior. While over 800 studies cited Verbal Behavior, only 31 of these studies explicitly examined one of Skinner’s verbal operants which lead them to conclude that Verbal Behavior only influenced a small number of empirical studies and would probably not result in an increase in research in this area (McPherson et al., 1984). Eshleman (1991) conducted a quantitative review of five behavioral journals through 1984 and the convention programs (1975–1991) for the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA) conferences. In contrast to McPherson et al., Eshleman concluded that verbal behavior research was growing at a steady rate and conveyed optimism about the increasing trend for future research. Finally, Oah and Dickinson (1989) published a narrative review of the empirical studies of the verbal behavior of both humans and animals published through 1988. They described the overall volume of empirical literature on verbal behavior (human and animal) as “limited” (p. 66). The authors provided brief synopses of various studies, highlighted some important areas for future research, and concluded that most published research focused on mands and tacts with relatively little investigation of other verbal operants. Skinner’s analysis of Verbal Behavior

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