MORAL BEHAVIOR AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF VERBAL REGULATION

The present paper examines the relationship between the development of moral behavior and the development of verbal regulatory processes. Re lational frame theory and the distinctions among pliance, tracking, an d augmenting forms of rule governance are applied to the domain of mor al behavior and its development, in order to identify the specific soc ial and verbal contingencies that are responsible for an evolving mora l repertoire. It is argued that moral behavior is controlled by relati onal and rule-following repertoires, and that these can be arranged in to a rough progression: pliance, tracking, augmenting, social concern for pliance, social concern for tracking, and social concern for augme nting. Congruence with data derived from other research traditions is examined, and applied implications are explored.