On the origin and functions of the term functional analysis.

Prigge et al. (2013) traced the phrase “functional analysis” back to B. F. Skinner in the 1940s.

They show the words appeared long before Iwata’s 1982 article on self-injury.

The paper is a short history lesson, not an experiment.

Skinner used “functional analysis” to mean testing how words work on listeners.

He urged scientists to turn the same lens on their own speech.

Iwata later borrowed the label for the standard test of problem behavior.

Baer et al. (1984) counted 836 papers that cite Skinner’s Verbal Behavior. Only a large share actually tested his verbal operants. That gap supports D’s point: we talk Skinner, but we rarely analyze our own words.

Bao et al. (2017) later mapped 15 years of autism studies that do test verbal operants. Their review shows the field is starting to experiment with Skinner’s terms, not just repeat them.

Together the three papers form a timeline: we cited (1984), we theorized (2013), and now we experiment (2017).

When you write a plan, ask: “What verbal response am I trying to evoke in the reader?” If the goal is parent buy-in, test whether “function-based” or “why-he-does-it” gets the nod. Run quick A-B comparisons in team meetings. Skinner’s method for words is the same as for behavior: see what works, drop what doesn’t.