Hi Livia,

There are a few things written on this topic - all based on chapter 6 in the FAP book (Kohlenberg & Tsai, 1991), which in turn was based on Skinner's writings on this topic.  The references are:

Kanter, J. W., Parker, C. R., & Kohlenberg, R. J. (2001). Finding the self: A behavioral measure and its clinical implications. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 38(2), 198-211.

Kohlenberg, R. J., & Tsai, M. (1995). I speak, therefore I am: A behavioral approach to understanding the self. Behavior Therapist, 18, 113-116.

Both of these papers are available for download on the fap website:  www.functionalanalyticpsychotherapy.com.

The Kohlenberg and Tsai (1995) paper has been translated and this is the reference: Kohlenberg, R. J., & Tsai, M. (2001). Hablo, luego existo : Una aproximación conductual para entender los problemas del yo.  Escritos de psicología, 5, 58-62.  

I personally like these papers a lot but I think a full account of this issue would involve language and perhaps an Relational Frame Theory analysis.  The RFT folks have also offered some interpretation of this issue, and some experimental work as well (Dymond and Barnes, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997) but this work is very difficult to follow. These studies are very briefly reviewed at the end of the Kanter, Parker and Kohlenberg (2001) paper. I think an integration of the FAP perspective offered by Kohlenberg and Tsai and the RFT perspective is needed, but no one has done that yet.

I know recently Bob has been talking more about the development of the self, specifically as it relates to mindfulness, so he may have more to say about this but they are currently on vacation.

Jonathan

Livia Pontes wrote:

Hello,

I am a brazilian psychologist who is interested in studying the acquisition of self knowledge in beahavior analysis and some of its variations. I´d like to know if any of you would recommend me any bibliography abou the theme.

 

Particularly, I am interested in how FAP views self knowledge - its definition and process of acquisition or development.

 

Thank you,

Livia Pontes

-- Jonathan W. Kanter, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Clinic Coordinator
Department of Psychology
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Office: Garland Hall 238C
(414) 229-3834

-- Jonathan W. Kanter, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Clinic Coordinator
Department of Psychology
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Office: Garland Hall 238C
(414) 229-3834