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    This document provides an overview and summary of B.F. Skinner's seminal work "Verbal Behavior" from 1957. Some of the key points covered include that Skinner analyzed language based on the same principles of environmental factors like reinforcement and motivation that influence non-verbal behavior. He categorized different types of verbal behavior including mands, tacts, echoics, and intraverbals. Skinner's analysis focused on both the formal and functional properties of language and how reinforcement shapes verbal responses over time.

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    This document provides an overview and summary of B.F. Skinner's seminal work "Verbal Behavior" from 1957. Some of the key points covered include that Skinner analyzed language based on the same principles of environmental factors like reinforcement and motivation that influence non-verbal behavior. He categorized different types of verbal behavior including mands, tacts, echoics, and intraverbals. Skinner's analysis focused on both the formal and functional properties of language and how reinforcement shapes verbal responses over time.

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    41 views19 pages

    Verbal Behavior Introduction

    Uploaded by

    siepa
    This document provides an overview and summary of B.F. Skinner's seminal work "Verbal Behavior" from 1957. Some of the key points covered include that Skinner analyzed language based on the same principles of environmental factors like reinforcement and motivation that influence non-verbal behavior. He categorized different types of verbal behavior including mands, tacts, echoics, and intraverbals. Skinner's analysis focused on both the formal and functional properties of language and how reinforcement shapes verbal responses over time.

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    Introduction to Verbal Behavior

    Psychology 417 September 17, 2008

    Verbal Behavior (1957), B.F. Skinner

    Provides an analysis of language based on same environmental principles of non-verbal behavior Language is behavior Language is affected by reinforcement, punishment and motivation Differs from views of language as caused by cognitive or biological variables

    Behavioral Approach of Language

    Analyzes language by its formal and functional properties Formal properties: physical description of response topographies, or classes of responses and also syntactical order, grammatical conventions, articulation, intonation, pitch, emphasis Functional properties: circumstances where responses occur

    Functional properties

    Analysis of discriminative stimuli Motivating operations Consequences

    Skinners classification system of functionally different types of language


    Receptive language Echoic Mand Tact Intraverbal Textual Transcriptive

    Receptive

    Nonverbally responding to the language of others Identify objects/actions not named but by function or feature

    Echoic

    Stimulus is auditory and response is speaking Consequence is nonspecific conditioned reinforcement Acquiring a verbal repertoire requires learning to echo sounds and words Skinner said an echoic repertoire is acquired because it is useful to parents and teachers. Teaching an echoic allows transfer of stimulus control to other types of language Echoic repertoire can be used to improve articulation

    Imitation

    Use of fine and gross motor movements to copy the movements of others Stimulus for imitation is visual Response is visual Facilitates the acquisition of sign language Strong imitative repertoire allows the instructor to teach more advanced forms of language using sign language Allows immediate opportunity to communicate

    Tact

    Form of response is controlled by a prior nonverbal stimulus Pairing of discriminative stimulus with audience results in reinforcment Consequences are typically conditioned reinforcement Tact: names physical features of the environment Non-verbal environment contains objects, actions, relations, properties Non-verbal environmental stimuli affect sensory systems and can be discriminative stimuli for tacts

    Mand

    Form of this response is controlled by a motivating variable Specifies what would function as reinforcement Verbal behavior where the speaker asks for what she wants Strong form of verbal behavior because of reinforcement characteristics/unique relationship between response and reinforcment Mand benefits the speaker by controlling the behavior of the listener

    Mand

    Negative behavior of children with limited verbal behavior may serve as mands Is important in every day verbal interactions and should be targeted in language training programs Skinner derived mand from command, demand, countermand Under control of relevant conditions of deprivation and aversive stimulation Audience may serve as discriminative stimulus

    Intraverbal

    Allows speaker to talk about objects or events that are not present Control of the response is by antecedent verbal stimuli Lacks point to point correspondence to the antecedent Consequences: conditioned reinforcement Has significant importance in everyday verbal interactions and should be targeted in language training programs

    Intraverbal Behavior

    Examples given by Skinner: Reciting a poem Saying the alphabet Facts of history Small talk Mathematical tables Metaphor/literary illusion

    Textual Repertoire

    Vocal response controlled by a visual writtent stimulus Match between the stimulus and response Consequence is conditioned reinforcement Much like echoic behavior except stimulus and response do not resemble each other Can be taught by bringing a vocal response under control of written stimulus Transfer of stimulus control procedures can teach this repertoire Reading comprehension is different from this because it involves receptive, mand, tact and intraverbal repertoires

    Transcriptive

    Spelling, transcribe test, note taking Verbal behavior where there is point to point correspondence between stimulus and response, but there is no formal similarity Stimulus and response are in same sense mode but do not resemble each other Spelling requires a good echoic repertoire and tact repertoire Transfer control from the echoic to textual by prompts and prompt fading

    Specific vs. non-specific reinforcement

    Specific reinforcement: Reinforcement is related to response. Non-specific reinforcement: Reinforcement is not specifically related to the response.

    Skinner on Acquisition of Verbal Behavior

    Vocalizations are selectively reinforced in acquisition of language No stimuli evoke early responses Prior stimuli are important in development of stimulus discrimination as in non-verbal behavior

    Skinner on Motivation and Emotion

    Reinforcement allows for control of a verbal response Later you strengthen responses with reinforcement but motivation (satiation or deprivation) control responses/being deprived of candy will occasion Candy, being deprived of getting outside will occasion open Aversive control: Verbal behavior can be reinforced by reduction of aversive stimulation Stop it, Dont touch me.

    References
    Skinner, B. F., Verbal Behavior. (1957). Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc.: New York. Sundberg, M. L. and Partington, J. W. (1998). Teaching language to children with autism or other developmental disabilities. Behavior Analysts, Inc.: Pleasant Hill, CA.

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