Exploring Verbal Behavior and Lovingkindness with David Roth

In this World Behavior Analysis Day Podcast episode, hosts Dr. Paulie Gavoni and Dr. Janet Sanchez Enriquez welcome David Roth, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst whose work is deeply informed by the writings of B.F. Skinner. For more than two decades, David has studied and reflected on Skinner’s ideas, extending them through his conceptual work on mindfulness, compassion, and culture. In his professional role, David also works directly with autistic support classrooms and children, bringing these principles into practice in educational settings.

 David shares his journey into behavior analysis, his intersectional work with mindfulness, meditation, and lovingkindness, and his continued role with the B.F. Skinner Foundation publication committee. The discussion highlights David’s origin story with Verbal Behavior (1957), his formative experiences navigating the Skinner-Chomsky debate, and his thoughtful conceptual writings on compassion, ethics, and culture.

Listeners will gain insight into:

• David’s introduction to Skinner through Verbal Behavior (1957) and impact.
• How early disagreements about Chomsky’s critique shaped his academic growth and commitment to Skinnerian analysis.
• His role in the B.F. Skinner Foundation publication committee, supplementing re-publications with Skinner’s notes.
• Why Skinner’s cultural commentaries in Reflections on Behaviorism and Society remain crucial today.
• Conceptual writings on meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness as scientifically grounded practices.
• How Walden Two and Skinner’s Notebooks continue to inspire ethical perspectives on helping and compassion.
• The development of the Dialogues on Verbal Behavior podcast with David Palmer as a resource for learners.
• Practical advice for applying the contingency view lens to our own lives for more compassionate, ethical action.
• BEHAVIORAL IMPLICATIONS OF “LOVING” ONE’S ENEMIES JESUS, BUDDHA, AND SKINNER AS PARTNERS ON THE PATH TO PEACE

Timestamps:

04:30 – David’s origin story: discovering Verbal Behavior (1957)

12:30 – Early challenges and the Skinner vs. Chomsky debate

23:00 – Entering academia and formative mentorship experiences

29:30 – Discovering Skinner’s Notebooks and its impact

34:00 – Reflections on Skinner’s cultural commentaries today

41:00 – Lovingkindness paper: bringing Skinner, Jesus, and Buddha into dialogue