B-14 Verbal Operants

Question 1

Verbal Behavior

Answer 1

Behavior that is maintained by reinforcement mediated by another person. (operant behavior)

Can be oral/vocal or not (speaking, signing, pointing, writing, gesturing etc)

Question 2

Noam Chomsky

Answer 2

Linguist

Wrote rebuttal to B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning

Human language is a part of an innate structure in human brain and will develop on it’s own as long as the individual is exposed to language

Chomsky gave no credit to operant conditioning as explaining why speech develops in children

Question 3

Formal Properties of Language

Answer 3

Involve the topography (i.e., form, structure) of the verbal response

The formal description of a language can be accomplished also by classifying words as nouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, and articles.

Question 4

Functional Property of Language

Answer 4

The causes of the response

Question 5

Tact

Answer 5

Tact=Labeling

Speaker names things and actions that the speaker has direct contact with through any of their 5 senses.

Controlled by a non-verbal stimulus

Consequence is a social reinforcement

Question 6

Mand

Answer 6

Derived from 2 terms: Demand and Command

Type of verbal operant in which speaker asks or requests what they want

Controlled by EO (want or need)

Consequence is a specific reinforcer

Question 7

Duplic

Answer 7

Controlled by verbal stimuli

Has point to point correspondence (start-middle-end) and formal similarity (same modality)

Types: Echoic (vocal imitation)
Mimetic (motor imitation)
Copying a text

Consequence: Social reinforcement

Question 8

Codic

Answer 8

Controlled by verbal stimuli

Has point to point correspondence (start-middle-end) but No formal similarity

Types: Textual (reading or finger spelling a word)
            Taking dictation (transcription)

Question 9

Intraverbals

Answer 9

Verbal behavior evoked by some antecedent verbal stimulus, but without point to point correspondence (ex: red white and_____)

Ex: Complete the sentence

Question 10

Selection based verbal behavior

Answer 10

Involves pointing or finding picture or symbol to represent what is being said

Question 11

Topography based verbal behavior

Answer 11

Listener, as a trained audience determines what is being said based on sounds of the word or shape of hand (ASL)

Question 12

Autoclitic

Answer 12

VB that is used to modify the effect of other VB on the listener (“You are moving really slowly” - Really is the autoclitic)

Modifies or gives additional clues about speaker’s verbal behavior to benefit listener so that listener can modify their consequences/reinforcement

Usually contains an Adverb (Ex: Like, Less etc)

Question 13

Types of Verbal Operants

Answer 13

1. Tact
2. Mand
3. Duplic
4. Codic
5. Intraverbals

Question 14

Verbal Behavior under Multiple Control

Answer 14

Some verbal behavior can fall under more than one verbal operant (mand, tact, intraverbal etc)

Ex: Lucy, I do love my blanket (Tact)
Linus, aren’t you too old to be carrying that stupid thing around (intraverbal mand)