The behavior of the listener, generic extensions, and the communicative adequacy of verbal behavior.

Stemmer (1992) wrote a theory paper. He asked how any listener can understand a brand-new word.

He said we do it through generic extensions. These are learned ways to treat new words like old ones.

The paper maps how listener uniformities let verbal behavior stay useful even when words change.

Generic extensions are not errors. They are the rule that keeps language working.

When you hear "Bring the zib," you act like you do with "Bring the cup." That sameness is the extension.

These uniform reactions make sure speakers and listeners stay coordinated.

Frame et al. (1984) showed how to test stimulus equivalence. Stemmer (1992) widens that view to everyday listener behavior.

Roche et al. (2002) later built Relational Frame Theory. Their work gives a step-by-step way to train the same generic extensions N only described.

Catagnus et al. (2020) proved the idea in a classroom. They moved stimulus control from a bell to the word "Everyone," showing how one cue can stand in for another.

You can stop treating novel responses as mistakes. See them as generic extensions and use them to teach new skills. When a child calls every four-legged pet "dog," shape that extension into the exact names instead of stopping it cold. The same process lets you transfer control from a known cue to a new one, like swapping a bell for a quiet verbal cue during transitions.