Relational Flexibility and Human Intelligence: extending the remit of Skinner's "Verbal Behavior"

The current article will discuss recent research encompassing the relevance of derived relational responding in intelligence, and the establishment of procedures to target this type of flexibility in derived relational responding in practical learning situations. The chapter will review research findings that indicate correlations between speed in flexible relational responding and higher scores on IQ tests. Relevant to flexibility in relational responding, research has demonstrated that children with autism showed poorer flexibility in relational responding than typically-developing peers, and procedures to remediate this type of �rigid� responding are described. Research on derived manding also has practical implications for incorporating derived relational responding into a mand training program to facilitate a �generative� or flexible component