Why your brain can link a word to a feeling instantly

Health · Published 20 October 2026 · Updated 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Humans possess a unique ability to create bidirectional links between things that have no physical connection. This allows us to learn that one word implies another, or that a symbol can carry a specific value. It is the fundamental building block of language, reasoning, and complex human cognition.

Relational Frame Theory (RFT), developed by Steven C. Hayes, posits that human cognition is built on 'relating.' Unlike simple associative learning—where an animal might link a stimulus to a physical property like size or color—humans can engage in arbitrarily applicable relational responding (AADRR). This means we can create links based on social conventions or whims. For example, the word 'cow' has no physical similarity to the animal it represents; the link is arbitrary and learned through social interaction.

The power of RFT lies in its 'frames.' Once a human learns a specific type of relation, such as 'before and after' or 'greater than,' they can apply that relation to any event. This leads to mutual entailment: if you learn that Joyce is in front of Peter, you automatically derive that Peter is behind Joyce. It also allows for combinatorial mutual entailment, where relations between A and B, and B and C, allow you to derive a relationship between A and C, even if that link was never explicitly taught.

This mechanism explains how stimulus functions can be transferred or transformed. If a neutral object is linked to something 'valuable' through a relational frame, the neutral object can suddenly acquire that attractive value. Conversely, this can lead to the automaticity of aversive responses. RFT researchers are currently exploring how the rigidity of these frames might relate to psychopathology, as well as how they combine to create complex phenomena like metaphors, analogies, and perspective-taking.

While behavior analysis was largely sidelined by the rise of cognitive psychology following Noam Chomsky's critiques in the 1950s, RFT aims to provide an empirically progressive account of these complex behaviors. It seeks to bridge the gap between the naturalistic approach of behavior analysis and the study of high-level cognition, with approximately 300 studies currently testing its core ideas.

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