Cognitive psychologists have taken for granted that Chomsky's review of Verbal Behavior presents a refutation of Skinner's theory. However, only ten years after the Chomsky's review, the behaviorists replies to Chomsky started to appear. This work presents a review of this issue focusing on the possible conclusive character of Chomsky's criticisms. On this point of view, none of Chomsky's arguments against Skinner's theory of verbal behavior are conclusive. However, some of Chomsky's criticisms would still posit challenges, as the problem of tautology in operant conditioning's law and the criticism of the dismissing of the reference concept.
Chomsky; Skinner; verbal behavior