The Acquisition of a Conceptual Repertoire: An Analysis in Terms of Substitution of Functions

A functional class refers to a circumstance in which responding is controlled by features of stimuli that are common to all the class members. We argue that behavior with respect to conceptual stimuli entails more than discrimination among classes and generalization within classes. We suggest that an analysis of substitution of stimulus functions may contribute to understanding the distinctions among functional classes of different varieties, including conceptual classes.