ABSTRACT
Relational Frame Theory (RFT) describes the way therapists learn to relate stimuli symbolically; for example, by learning to relate objects and names of objects. Whilst the ability to relationally frame tends to begin in early infancy, it continues to develop throughout childhood, as humans learn many and varied ways in which to relate stimuli. Imagine Charlie hears that Mabel has been bitten by a small dog and he experiences anxiety about this event. Charlie needs to be able to create a relational network in which ‘dog’, ‘pain’, and ‘fear’ are all mutually related. The verbal behaviour is sometimes referred to within RFT as arbitrarily applicable derived relational responding, which refers to the human ability to symbolise. If one needs evidence of the constant stream of relating, try and engage in a mindfulness exercise and watch how the mind gets repeatedly hooked by the process of relating.
