The Future of Verbal Behavior: Collaboration and Inclusivity.
Treat collaboration and inclusivity as active interventions, not slogans.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ming (2018) wrote the incoming editor’s welcome letter for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior.
He did not run an experiment. He laid out a plan.
The plan says the journal will treat collaboration and inclusivity as core values, not side projects.
What they found
The paper finds that the field is too small and too alike.
More voices from more places will spark new ideas and better science.
So the journal will seek authors, reviewers, and topics from under-represented groups.
How this fits with other research
Cihon et al. (2018) shows one way to do it. Their team built a real international partnership across six countries. They prove Siri’s call can move from words to action.
Malott (2004) drew the first map. That paper told us to plant funded pioneers in new regions. Ming (2018) updates the map. The goal is no longer just growth; it is also equity.
Kirby et al. (2022) adds the how-to. They give the field cultural reciprocity—ask about your own biases first. This tool turns Siri’s inclusivity value into daily practice.
Cox (2026) points to tech. Open-source text tools let small labs join verbal community research. This widens the circle Siri wants to widen.
Why it matters
You can act on this today. Invite a colleague from another discipline to co-write. Offer to mentor a student from an under-represented group. Each small step makes the verbal behavior community larger and smarter.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
As a member of the incoming editorial team, I have been asked to speak to the future of verbal behavior research and of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, considering questions about the direction of the field, the future path of the journal, and the message I would have for the next generation of researchers. In considering these questions, I propose that we ground strategic decision-making processes in values of collaboration and inclusivity, toward valued outcomes that include diversity and innovation, which I see as necessary for improving both practice and conceptual understanding, the traditionally stated aims of this community.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 2018 · doi:10.1037/h0047662