Instructors Notes Unit 1 Flashcards
Skinner Verbal BX
1) Systematic analysis of Language
- Reinforcement
- Extinction
- Punishment
- Generalization
- Discrimination
- Motivation
Skinner Verbal Bx
2) Behavioral understanding of language through e.gs
-VB is Bx that is reinforced by the actions of another person
-Verbal Bx acts upon the social world (because it effects the bx of the listener)
• Skinner uses the same analysis & principles of bx that he applied to nonverbal bx
• Analyze the environmental conditions that control the bx: A-B-C
Views of Language
Biological
- Biological: Physical system, Chomsky
- Cognitive: Receptive-expressive framework dominates the current language assessment & intervention programs for children w/ASD
Views of language
-Cognitive
• receptive-expressive framework dominates the current language assessment & intervention programs for children w/ ASD
Views of Language
-Environmental
- Language is bx & has a fx
* both environmental variables & physiological processes
*Language perspectives
- Traditional/Linguistic
- Form & Structure
- Words & “Meaning”
- Measure: Phonemes & morphemes
- Effect on listener
Skinnerian
-Functional Unit of analysis: -Operant -A-B-C -Bx of speaker
VB:
Speaker
- Emits Verbal response
- The BX: The person speaking, signing, writing
- Verbalizer
VB:
Listener
- Provides antecedents (SD) & con
- Related to “receptive” language
- Mediator
- Nonverbal bx
*Speaker & Listener
Speaker Someonewhoengagesinvbbyemitting mands, tacts, intraverbals, autoclitics, etc. A speaker is also someone who uses sign language, gestures, signals, written words, codes, pictures, or any form of vb.
Speaker and Listener
Listener: Someone who provides SR+ for vb. A listener may also serve as an audience evoking vb. The distinction between listener & speaker is often blurred by the fact that much of a listener’s behavior may involve becoming a speaker at the covert level (e.g., thinking about what was said). Often a speaker may be his own listener. (Sundberg, 2004)
“Receptive Language”
- Listener BX, Mediator BX, Receptive Response, Manded compliance or Manded stimulus selection, non-verbal operant bx
- There needs to be a speaker & listener in order for this Bx to occur
- The listener is responding to the VB of a speaker
- If there isn’t a speaker then it is just non-verbal bx
a) Verbal Stimulus-> b) Learner bx: Non-verbal Bx (compliance)->c) Non-specific rein
*Expressive Vs. “Receptive” Language!
- Skinner does not use these terms!
- Why not? cuz they imply…
- They are different manifestations of the same underlying cognitive processes
- The listener’s bx also constituted language
- Understanding what words mean is the same as expressing words
Covert VB
- The speaker can function as their own listener/audience!
- Covert VB: thinking, understanding, problem solving, processing
- All the verbal operants are possible
- Linguists are concerned with the listener & wat words mean to them
- e.g: speaker says, “wat did you do this weekend?Where did I go? oh yeah…”
- E.g. the listener covertly counts when asked how many more weeks of school do you have left?
*Verbal Operants
*All instances of vb can be classified into verbal operants
• Functional units of language A-B-C
• Units of language make up an individual’s verbal
repertoire
• Functionally independent of each other (different effects on environment)
• Each shares a common antecedent (SDs & MOs) & consequence
• Typical development: transfer across operants occurs rapidly & without direct teaching
• Those w/ ASD, transfer procedures are often required to teach verbal operants
Mand vs. Tact
Skinner wrote that the tact was the most important operant
Strong argument that mands are more important
*Mands:
-Response directly benefits the speaker
-Learn something about the condition (motivation) of the speaker
*Tacts:
-Response benefits the listener
-Learn something about the condition of the current environment
-Allows speaker to identify & describe features of his/her environment
Duplic Con’t:
Echoic, mimetic, copying a text
All have point to point correspondence & formal similarity
Mirrored responses
Imitation of words/sounds (echoic)
Imitation of Signs (mimetic)
Imitation of Picture Selection (mimetic)
Copying a text
*They all have a verbal response and a response with pt- pt correspondence and formal similarity & have generalized rein
Codic
*Has point-to-point correspondence with an antecedent verbal stimulus
*Does NOT have formal similarity Includes;
1. Textual (reading)
2. Diction (transcription)
3. Finger spelling words that are heard
Codic: Textual
- Point to point correspondence & no formal similarity
- Verbal Stim (printed word)->B: Codic->SR+ (Social rein)
e. g: Saying the word “Bx in response to the printed word “bx” or “bx”
Codic: Transcription
Point to point correspondence & no formal similarity
-Vocal Verbal STIM (Spoken words) -> Spelling/writing -> SR+ (RX)
Multiple Controlled Operants
*Responses can occur in multiple operants & can be controlled by one or more stimuli & one or more consequences
A: More than 1 STIM -> B: Verbal Res-> C: SR+
E.g. EO+presence of object (Object + verbal stimulus) -> More than one SR+
Multiple Controlled Operants
-Saying or Signing “Chocolate milk” in response to seeing a glass of chocolate milk & just having completed a hard physical workout mand/tact “What do you want?” where there is nothing of high value I sight could result in an Inter intraverbal-mand, if the child were to answer with a specific request.
Be aware of this when you are teaching!
Convergent multiple Control:
- Multiple antecedent stimuli combine to evoke a single verbal response
- R “dog”- MO-SD1 pic of dog - SD2 “say dog” - SD3 “what is it”?
Divergent multiple control:
R1
R4 R2
R3
An single antecedent stimulus affects more than just one response