RFT App

Relational frame

The deictic frame

Relating from a perspective: I and you, here and there, now and then.

What it looks like

Deictic framing is the RFT account of perspective-taking. It is the most demanding of the frame families, and it is a frequent target in programming for learners on the autism spectrum.

What makes it hard is that the relations are not fixed to stimuli. What is "here" for me is "there" for you, and "now" becomes "then" the moment it passes. The only stable thing is the speaker's vantage point.

Worked example

A learner is asked: "I have the red block and you have the blue block. If I were you and you were me, which block would I have?"

Answering requires reversing the I-you relation while holding the object assignments fixed. Doubling the reversal, as in "if I were you and here were there", produces the harder trials used to build flexibility.

How to build a lesson for this frame

  1. Train simple relations first

    Establish I-you, here-there, and now-then independently, each to mastery, before combining any of them.

  2. Add single reversals

    Introduce trials that reverse one relation at a time, holding everything else constant.

  3. Add double reversals

    Combine two reversals in one trial. This is where perspective-taking flexibility is genuinely tested.

  4. Vary context

    Rotate people, places, and times so the relation rather than the specific example acquires control.

Common pitfalls

Scripting the trials so the learner memorises answers is easy to do accidentally and defeats the purpose. Vary the people and objects continuously. Moving to double reversals before simple relations are fluent is the other common error, and it usually produces guessing rather than framing.

Build a deictic lesson

Draft the trial structure in RFT App, then edit it into the program you actually want.

See how it works

Other relational frames

Coordination

Relating stimuli as the same or equivalent. The basis of naming.

Distinction

Relating stimuli as different, without specifying how.

Opposition

Relating stimuli as opposites along a shared dimension.

Comparison

Relating stimuli along a graded dimension: more, less, bigger.

Common questions

What is a deictic frame?
A relational frame that relates events from the speaker's perspective, using I and you, here and there, and now and then.
What are deictic frames used for?
They are the RFT account of perspective-taking, and they are a frequent programming target for learners who find perspective-taking difficult.
What is a double reversal trial?
A trial that reverses two deictic relations at once, such as "if I were you and here were there", used to test flexible perspective-taking.