Staffing the empirical analysis of verbal behavior.
Verbal behavior research keeps pulling in both new and returning scientists, proving the field is alive and ready for your data.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The author counted who published in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior from 1982 through 1999.
He looked at how many authors were new each year and how many kept coming back.
The goal was to see if verbal behavior research was growing or shrinking.
What they found
Every year, fresh researchers joined the journal.
Old names also kept publishing, so the field kept both new blood and seasoned hands.
This mix showed the work was healthy and expanding, not fading.
How this fits with other research
Ming (2018) picks up the same thread. That later editorial says the journal must stay open and team-based to keep growing.
Fusaroli et al. (2022) shows the kind of science Leigland (2000) hoped for. Their 2022 meta-analysis pools vocal data from 149 autistic kids across two languages.
Cox (2026) pushes even further. That paper says cheap tech now lets us track whole verbal communities in real time, turning the old dream of big data into a Monday tool.
Why it matters
You can trust that verbal behavior is a living field, not a niche side note. When you pick a journal for your next VB study, you join a line of repeat authors that started decades ago. Use that history to sell your idea to bosses, parents, or funders.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, scan the latest issue, and email one author to ask for their protocol so you can replicate it with your clients.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Empirical articles in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior were inspected to evaluate the contributions of new and repeat investigators. The journal has attracted a steady stream of new empirical authors from early in its history. In recent years, repeat authors have begun to have a substantial impact on the journal. These outcomes suggest a maturing research community and provide cause for optimism about the future of empirical verbal behavior research.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 2000 · doi:10.1007/BF03392964