This text presents the basic concepts developed by B.F. Skinner in Verbal Behavior (1957). It is intended only as an introduction and as such omits detailed explanations of exceptions, ambiguities, and controversies. In addition, many of the implications of the analysis are not presented. What is presented are all the basic concepts that were introduced in Verbal Behavior with the hope that this book's conditioning of these concepts in student repertoires will leave these students having a much easier time grasping more complex and sophisticated analyses such as those presented by Skinner.

This text was designed to be read by someone who has already had an introduction to behavior, and contingency engineering, terminology. Basic behavioral concepts are reviewed only briefly.