1. U5: Verbal Behavior PSY 4600 Schedule: Thursday, 10/19, U5 lecture
Tuesday, 10/24, U5 lecture & ME1 study objectives handed out
Wednesday, 10/25, Instructional Assistance, 5:00-7:00
Thursday, 10/26, E5
Tuesday, 10/31, ME1 over Units 1-4
PSY 4600

2. ME1: Detailed Schedule Reminder
Tuesday, 10/24
ME1 Study objectives handed out
Monday, 10/30
Instructional Assistance for ME1
5:00-7:00 pm, Wood Hall, 1st Floor Lounge
Tuesday, 10/31
ME1
Thursday, 11/02
ME1 handed back with grade sheet
(Monday, 11/06, last day to drop w/o academic penalty)

3. Verbal Behavior
May feel there is a gap in your knowledge of psychology – there is, and VB fills that gap
Need to understand verbal behavior to understand what is commonly referred to as higher level “cognitive processes”
Thinking
Memory
Consciousness
(what you have learned to date just can’t account for these; you are right; complex;
only going to touch on it in this unit – chapter by Sundberg does go further than I am going to go. )

4. Overview of unit Verbal Behavior: 3 articles in the unit
Article by Mark Sundberg
Ph.D., WMU, 1980
First to systematically apply Skinner’s analysis of vb to language intervention programs for children with autism and developmental disabilities
First to develop an assessment of vb in children using Skinner’s analysis
First version sold over 175,000 copies around the globe
Second version, published in Sept. 2008, has sold over 500,000 copies, with sales in 25 different countries (VB MAPP)
(not the first, language tr.; Sundberg&Assoc; BattleCreek,dept. dist alum, 2001; the current version is based on over 30 years of research)

5. Overview, cont. Research article by LaMarre & Holland
Demonstrates the “functional independence” of mands and tacts
Proves one of Skinner’s most important and basic analyses about VB
A word is not a word is not a word – more on this later
Make-believe memories: Elizabeth Loftus
Not required for the exam
Fascinating and somewhat “scary” article about how easily our memories can be altered by suggestion (the vb of others) and reinforcement of our vb by others

6. Mark Sundberg, then and now
marksundberg.com

7. SO1: VB and properties of language: formal vs. functional
The formal properties of language involve the structure (i.e., form) of language such as grammar
Examples of structure, not for the exam, include
Phonemes: individual speech sounds
Morphemes: words, units that have meaning
Lexicon: total collection of words in a language
Syntax: organization of words, clauses, phrases into sentences
(classification of words as nouns, pronouns, adverbs, verbs, prepositional clauses, etc.)

8. SO1: VB and properties of language: form vs. function
The functional properties of language involve the causes of the response
Why we say, write, sign, etc. what we do
(signing: American Sign Language; no more on slide)

9. Skinner’s analysis (NFE)
Skinner’s analysis is a functional analysis of language
Skinner did not criticize formal analyses of language (common misconception)
Skinner, however, was critical of the fact that there weren’t any adequate functional analyses of verbal behavior
A complete account of verbal behavior requires both formal and functional analyses

10. Development of verbal behavior
Skinner believed it was his most
important work
However, it wasn’t until years later
that his book became a “best seller”
Sundberg was the one who really made it catch fire because of his development of a practical training program for children with DD and autism (started at Croydon Ave –was Woods Edge but back to Croydon-back in the 1970s.)
(Skinner was actually an English major in college; wanted to be a writer; failed at that)

11. What took so long? Linguists Behavior Analysts
1982
Linguists
VB was strongly criticized by Chomsky, a popular psycholinguist
Individuals in the humanities and social sciences do/did tend to have general anti-behavioral beliefs
Recent reviews have been more sympathetic
Behavior Analysts
Completely conceptual: no data!
Extremely difficult book
(Bob D’Louhy, Celcis; is incredible, because his analyses that have been investigated have been supported: LaMarre&Holland, TAVB, MS)

12. What took so long?
Michael (1984) described the problem students have learning Skinner’s analysis of VB as follows:
The students’ main difficulty is not with the “behavioralizing,” but rather with what is being behavioralized. For example, the following are included in the first 20 entries listed in the index: abstraction; acrostics; agglutinated languages; agnosia; agrammatism; alexia; allegory; alliteration; allusion; amanuensis; and ambiguity (p. 369)
(Jack Michael was Sundberg’s advisor; well recognized as the leading behavior analyst in VB; I took the class with Michael in 1981)

13. SO3 Intro: Define verbal behavior
Verbal and nonverbal behavior
Verbal behavior is no different than nonverbal operant behavior with respect to its causes
It is learned, extended, and maintained by the same variables that cause nonverbal operant behavior
Motivating operations
SDs and S∆s
Reinforcement, punishment, and extinction
(definition on next slide)

14. SO3: Define verbal behavior
Verbal behavior is behavior that is reinforced through the mediation of another person’s behavior
Nonverbal: R (open door)  Sr (door is open)
Verbal: R (“open door”)  Sr (listener opens door)
Nonverbal: R (gets a glass of water)  SR (water)
Verbal: R (“May I have water?”)  SR (listener
gives water)

15. NFE: Speaker vs. listener
Skinner makes a clear distinction between the speaker and listener
The speaker is the verbal behaver*
The listener is the person who is affected by what the speaker says**
Skinner’s analysis focuses on the speaker – that is, why does the speaker say what he says?
*traditionally called “expressive language”
**traditionally called “receptive language”

16. SO6: Verbal vs. Vocal: A Possible Confusion
[In some contexts verbal is a synonym for vocal (making sounds with the vocal musculature). In such contexts, writing, gesturing, etc. would be nonverbal.]
For Skinner vb is any behavior reinforced through the mediation of another person's behavior.
vocal verbal
making sounds with vocal musculature -- talking to someone to affect another person
nonvocal verbal
writing, signing (ASL), finger spelling, waving someone over, pointing to something, gesturing to affect another person
nonvocal nonverbal
walking, picking something up, opening a door, turning lights on, putting a key in a lock
vocal nonverbal
coughing, yawning, grunting, -- making sounds with vocal musculature that are not done to affect another person

17. SO6: Examples of vocal verbal behavior
1. Say “tree” as a result of seeing a tree
2. Smack your lips audibly so someone will give you food or water
(use of vocal musculature)
3. Sigh audibly to get the attention of your significant other
4. Clear your throat to get attention

18. SO6: Examples of nonvocal verbal behavior
1. Arms up, wants to be lifted up by Mom
2. Kick your sig. other under the table, wanting him to shut up
3. Pointing to a pastry in a bakery shop, wanting the clerk to get it for you
4. Waving for attention
*in addition to writing, signing, reading, braille, picture communication systems

19. SO6: Examples of vocal and nonvocal nonverbal behavior
1.Grunting as a result of lifting something heavy
2. Coughing as a result of an irritated throat
3. Yawning as a result of being tired, or to “unclog your ears”
Nonvocal nonverbal behavior
1. Looking at the clock, wanting to know the time
2. Putting up an umbrella, don’t want to get wet
(could be verbal as well – grutning, wanting your roomate to help you lift something; yawning, wanting someone to leave; next slide, verbal operants)

20. SO7: NFE, Intro to verbal operants
Skinner identified six verbal operants
(also called elementary verbal relations)
Mand
Tact
Echoic
Intraverbal
Textual
Transcription

21. SO7: NFE, intro to verbal operants
Skinner identified six verbal operants
(also called elementary verbal relations)
Mand
Tact
Echoic
Intraverbal
Textual
Transcription
I am going to have you learn
these four for the exam
(these are the ones required on the BA certification exam as well)

22. SO7: NFE, What is a verbal operant?
Verbal responses that are controlled/caused by the same variables
The classification system is based on what causes the verbal response
What antecedent event/stimulus evokes the response
What type of reinforcement follows the response
Examples, next page)

23. : : Mands vs. Tacts “SpongeBob” “SpongeBob” Mand MO Response Specific
Reinforcement related to the MO
Response
Child wants the SpongeBob video
“SpongeBob”
Mom gives the child the SpongeBob
video
Tact :
Nonverbal SD
Response
Generalized Sr
Child sees poster of SpongeBob
“SpongeBob”
Mom says, “Good! Yes, that is
SpongeBob.”
(verbal response is the same; different antecedent and different type of reinforcement; antecedents …)

24. Verbal Operants: Plain English Definitions
Mand: Asking for reinforcers you want
Saying “shoe” because you want a shoe
Tact: Naming/identifying objects, actions, events, etc.
Saying “shoe” because you see a shoe
Echoic: Repeating what is said, signed, or written
Saying “shoe” after someone else says “shoe”
Intraverbal: Answering questions or word associations
Saying “shoe” after someone else says “socks”
Textual: Reading written words
Saying “shoe” because you see the written word “shoe”
Transcription: Writing or spelling words spoken to you
Writing “shoe” because you hear someone say “shoe”
(present them altogether first, then we will do them one by one; Not precise enough for science, but helpful; taking dictation – finger spelling)

25. SO8 & SO9: The Mand Plain English: Asking for reinforcers you want
Technically,
The antecedent event that controls the mand is the MO
The type of reinforcement that follows the mand is reinforcement related to the MO
Examples
MO (want cookie): R (“cookie”)  SR (cookie, provided by listener)
MO (want to leave party): R (sign “leave”)  Sr (leave with date)
(form and MO next; more examples in a moment)

26. NFE: Sundberg’s definition of the mand and some clarification
The mand is a verbal operant for which the form of the response is under the functional control of MOs and specific reinforcement
What is meant by the form of the response?
Just the specific “word”
You say “pizza” if you want a pizza or food rather than “DVD”
You say “stop” if you want someone to stop doing something rather than “book”
(MO, next slide)

27. NFE: Sundberg’s definition of the mand and some clarification
What is a motivating operation?
A motivating operation:
-- makes a consequence more or less reinforcing and
-- evokes or suppresses responses that have, in the
past, resulted in that consequence
Food deprivation:
-- makes food more reinforcing and
-- evokes responses that have, in the past, resulted in food

28. NFE: Sundberg’s definition of the mand and some clarification
For now, it’s OK to use “wanting” (except for the answer to SO9A: technically, what antecedent event controls the mand)
Next unit, we spend the entire unit on MOs; it will NOT be OK to substitute the “wanting” for MO in that unit

29. Back to the Mand, more examples
A tendency to:
Solely As a result of:
Say “apple”
Sign “pen”
Text “cm”
Say “awesome boots”
Hold up 2 fingers
Say “salt, please”
Write “this lecture sucks”
Point to item on menu
Say “thanks”
wanting an apple
wanting a pen
wanting a person to call you
wanting more interaction
wanting two things
tasting food, wanting salt
wanting attention frm another stdnt
wanting to order that item
wanting someone to help you in the future
(questions about the mand? next slide, tacts)

30. Reinforcement for verbal operants
Mand:
Reinforcement is specific to the MO
If the MO is “wanting water” (water dep), the rft is water
If the MO is “wanting” a pen, the reinforcement is the pen
If the MO is “wanting” two things, the rft is the two things
All other verbal operants
Reinforcement is generalized conditioned reinforcement

31. SO12 & SO13: The Tact
Plain English: Naming/identifying objects, actions, events, etc.
Technically,
The antecedent event that controls a tact is a nonverbal SD
The type of reinforcement that follows the tact is a generalized conditioned reinforcer
Examples:
Speaker
SD (see mommy): R ( say “mommy”)  GSr (“that’s right, I’m mommy!”)
SD (smelling smoke): R (sign “fire”)  GSr (signs, “yes”)
Listener reinforces

32. SO14: Table 25.2, what’s wrong?
In Table 25.2, the abbreviation for a generalized conditioned reinforcer is GCSR
What’s wrong with that?
(slight digression: answer not on slide)

33. Examples of Tacts Sign “tree” Say “up” Text “AITR” Write “helicopter”
A tendency to:
Solely as a result of:
Sign “tree”
Say “up”
Text “AITR”
Write “helicopter”
Say “DVD”*
Finger spell “Caio”
Say “bacon”
Say “high”
Write “PSY 4600, U5”
seeing a tree
feeling the elevator go up
seeing an adult in the room
hearing a helicopter
seeing a CD
seeing Caio’s girlfriend
smelling bacon cooking
seeing a kite in the air
seeing Dr. Dickinson enter the room
(*”correctness” doesn’t matter)

34. NFE: Multiple control, part mand, part tact
A tendency to
As a result of*
Say “pizza”
Sign “truck”
Write “leave”
both wanting and seeing a pizza
both wanting and seeing a toy truck
both wanting to leave a lecture and seeing someone else leave the lecture early
(not “solely now; echoic next)

35. SO15, 16 & 20: The Echoic
Plain English: Repeating what is heard, signed or written
Technically,
The antecedent event that controls an echoic is a verbal SD that has point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity with the response product
The type of reinforcer that follows the echoic is a generalized conditioned reinforcer
(I’ll deal with point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity a bit later; all verbal operants, except the mand are reinforced with GSrs; examples next slide )

36. SO15, 16 & 20: The Echoic Examples:
Speaker
SD (hear “book”): R ( say “book”)  GSr (“good!”)
SD (see someone sign “cat”): R (sign “cat”)  GSr ( “yes”)
SD (see “echoic” on white board): R (write “echoic”) GSr (OK gesture)
Listener reinforces

37. SO19: Response vs. response product
Definition of a response
Movement of the skeletal muscles, smooth muscles and secretion of the glands
Definition of a response product
The visual, auditory, or tactile stimulus that results from the response (i.e., the product of the response)
(Before I deal with ptp corresp and formal similarity; review response product U2: it’s a very important distinction in VB)

38. Examples, response vs. response product
Movement of the skeletal and smooth muscles of the vocal musculature when saying “milk”
Movement of the skeletal muscles when writing “milk”
Movement of the skeletal muscles when signing “milk”
The auditory stimulus of hearing “milk”
The visual stimulus of the written word “milk”
The visual stimulus of the sign “milk”
(bold faced part must be included – technical terminology; questions? Next slide pt to pt correspondence)

39. SO17: Now to point-to-point correspondence
Plain English: the response product is the same word as the stimulus (not good enough for the exam, but possibly helpful)
Technically, the beginning, middle, and end of the verbal SD matches the beginning, middle, and end of the response product
(Reminder: echoics are evoked by a verbal SD that has pt to pt correspondence and
formal similarity with the response product)

40. SO17: Point-to-point correspondence
Examples
SD (hear “cat”): R (say “cat”)
SD (hear “cat”): R (write “cat”)

41. SO17: Point-to-point correspondence
Examples
SD (see “cat”): R (say “cat”)
SD (see “cat”): R (write “cat”)

42. SO17: Point-to-point correspondence
More examples
SD (see someone sign “dog”): R (sign “dog”)
SD (see someone finger spell “dog”): R (finger spell “dog”)
SD (see “WMU” written): R (finger spell “WMU”)
SD (see “snow” written): R (say “snow”)
SD (hear someone say “bell”): R (write “bell”)
(nonexamples, next slide)

43. SO17: Point-to-point correspondence
Nonexamples
SD (hear “dog”): R (say “chihuahua”)
SD (see “5”): R (write “five”)
SD (hear “percentage”): R (write “%”)
SD (hear “write your name”): R (write your name: “Jeana”)
SD (see someone sign “dog”): R (say “dog”)
SD (see “cat”): R (sign “cat”)
(cannot be ptp correspondence between signing and anything but signing)

44. SO18 Formal similarity Formal similarity
Both the verbal SD and the response product are in the same sense mode
That is, both are auditory, visual, signed*, or tactile
The verbal SD and the response product must also have point-to-point correspondence
Note: that is, you cannot have formal similarity unless you have point-to-point correspondence
*For signing must be another sign, not just a visual stimulus
such as a written word
(note: TAs, I am teaching this differently this semester; FS must have ptp; exception is when single “unit”, such as “a”; examples and nonexamples next)

45. SO18: Formal similarity
Examples
SD (hear someone say “bear”): R (say “bear”) ptp, auditory/auditory
SD (see “bear” written): R (write “bear”) ptp, visual/visual
SD (see someone sign “bear”): R (sign “bear”) ptp, sign/sign
SD (see “milk” written): R (write “milk”) ptp, visual/visual
Nonexamples
SD (hear someone say “bear”): R (write “bear”) ptp, auditory/visual
SD (see “bear” written): R (sign “bear”) ptp, visual/sign
SD (see someone sign “bear”): R (say “bear”) ptp, sign/auditory
SD (see bear “written”): R (write “polar”) no ptp, visual/visual
SD (see someone sign “milk”): R (sign “cookies) no ptp, sign/sign
SD (hear someone say “milk”): R (sign “milk”) no ptp, auditory/sign
(questions? Examples of echoics next)

46. Back to echoics ptp: finger spell/finger spell
Plain English: Repeating, imitating what is heard, signed or written
Technically, the antecedent event that controls an echoic is a verbal SD that has formal similarity with the response product (which means it has both ptp correspondence and is in the same sense mode)
Examples
SD (hear “book”): R ( say “book”) ptp: auditory/auditory
SD (see someone sign “cat”): R (sign “cat”) ptp: sign/sign
SD (see “echoic” on white board): R (write “echoic”) ptp: visual/visual
SD (see someone finger spell “WMU”): R (finger spell “WMU”)
ptp: finger spell/finger spell
(less technically, there is an exact match between the verbal SD and response product; onto intraverbals)

47. SO22 and SO23: The Intraverbal
Plain English: Answering questions and word associations
Technically,
The antecedent event that controls an IV is a verbal SD that does not have point-to-point correspondence with the response product
Note: the sense mode is irrelevant
The type of reinforcer that follows an intraverbal is a generalized conditioned reinforcer
(Sundberg doesn’t say word associations, but particularly helpful; words controlled by different words; examples next slide)

48. SO22 and SO23: The Intraverbal
Examples:
Speaker
SD (hear “color”): R ( say “red”)  GSr (“Yes, red is a color.”)
SD (see someone sign “cat”): R (sign “dog”)  GSr ( “yes”)
SD (see “red, white, and”): R (say “blue”) GSr (listener smiles)
SD (hear “five”): R (write “5”)  GSr (“yep”)
SD (hear “where do you live?”): R (say “Kalamazoo”)  GSr (“cool”)
Listener reinforces
(no ptp, sense mode doesn’t matter)

49. SO22 and SO23: The Intraverbal
Examples:
Speaker
SD (hear “color”): R ( say “red”) no ptp
SD (see someone sign “cat”): R (sign “dog”) no ptp
SD (see “red, white, and”): R (say “blue”) no ptp
SD (hear “five”): R (write “5”) no ptp
SD (hear “where do you live?”): R (say “Kalamazoo”) no ptp
(same examples, no ptp, sense mode doesn’t matter)

50. SO24: Textuals (then Transcriptions)
Plain English: Reading* written words out loud
Technically,
The antecedent event that controls a textual is a visual (or tactile - braille) verbal SD that has point-to-point correspondence but not formal similarity
The response product is auditory
The type of reinforcement is GSr
(I am going to give you examples to classify on exam, and I will have textuals and transcriptions, but I am not going to require you to identify them as such, bonus pts. “V”; do have to recognize that they are not examples of mands, tacts, echoics, and intraverbals;* textuals – not reading because reading implies
“understanding” and Skinner did not want that implication)

51. SO24: Textuals (then Transcriptions)
Examples
SD (see “car”): R (say “car”)  GSr (“yes!”) ptp: visual/auditory
SD (see “mand”): R (say “mand”)  GSr (“OK!”) ptp: visual/auditory
SD (see “up”): R (say “up”)  GSr (“Yep”) ptp: visual/auditory
SD (see “cat”): R (say “cat”)  GSr (“good!”) ptp: visual/auditory
Reminder:
SD is a written verbal stimulus
Response product has point-to-point correspondence with SD
Response product does not have formal similarity with the SD
Reinforcement is GSr

52. SO24: Transcriptions
Plain English: Writing, typing, and finger spelling words you hear (taking dictation)
Technically,
The antecedent event that controls a transcription is an auditory verbal SD that has point-to-point correspondence but not formal similarity
The response product is visual: (written, typed, or spelled)
Basically, a visual stimulus that is not signing: signing cannot have point-to-point correspondence with an auditory SD
The type of reinforcement is a GSr
(Skinner: Taking dictation, Mark changed name to better include finger spelling)

53. SO24: Transcriptions Examples
SD (hear “car”): R (write “car”)  GSr (“good!”)
SD (hear “WMU”): R (finger spell “WMU”) GSr (“yeah, man, go Broncos!”)
SD (hear“Jake”) : R (write “Jake”)  GSr (“yep, that’s Jake”)
SD (hear “library”): R (text “library”)  GSr (message/noise that text has been sent)
Reminder:
SD: auditory verbal stimulus
Response product has point-to-point correspondence with SD
Response product does not have formal similarity with SD
Response product is visual (written, typed, or finger spelled)
Reinforcement is GSr
(Skinner: Taking dictation, Mark changed name to better include finger spelling)

54. SO24: Transcriptions Examples
SD (hear “car”): R (write “car”) ptp: auditory/visual
SD (hear “WMU”): R (finger spell “WMU”) ptp: auditory/visual
SD (hear“Jake”): R (write “Jake”) ptp: auditory/visual
SD (hear “library”): R (text “library”) ptp: auditory/visual
(ptp, auditory/visual (but not signing)

55. Elementary Verbal Operants (Relations)
Form of R controlled by MO SD
mand
verbal SD
nonverbal SD
tact
ptp
no ptp
intraverbal
formal similarity
no formal similarity
echoic
textual (visual/auditory)
transcription (auditory/visual)

56. SO25: Textuals, wrong answers in text!
In Table 25.3, the classification exercise in the chapter, the textuals are misclassified!
Incorrect examples
7. Write “book” as a result of hearing “book”
26. Finger spell “run” as a result of hearing “run”
These are both transcriptions, not textuals
ptp: auditory/visual

57. SO25: A few examples from the chapter, questions over these or others?
A tendency to
Solely as a result of
Say “airplane”
Say “I’m fine”
Say “cookies”
Step on the brakes
Say “red”
Write “book”
Sign “apple”
Say “mesa”
Hearing an airplane
Hearing “How are you?”
Smelling cookies baking*
Seeing “stop” written on sign
Hearing “color”*
Hearing “book”*
Seeing “apple” written
Hearing “table”
(*Why T/M as answer in book?; why M?; why IV/T as answer in book?; TS, not TX; all signs except T and E, must be IV )

58. SO25: Some of the examples from the study objectives
A tendency to
Solely as a result of
Write “wet”
Sign “tree”
Say “WMU”
Turn up heat
Write “large”
Say “cat”
Write “book”
Sign “4”
Hearing “ocean”
Seeing a tree
Seeing “WMU”
Wanting it to be warmer
Hearing “large”
Seeing someone sign “cat”
Wanting a book
Hearing “four”

59. SO26: Back to the listener
Previously….
The listener mediates the reinforcement for the speaker
And also (new, 26A)
The listener becomes an SD for the speaker’s behavior*
Non-technically, the listener is an audience for verbal behavior
*Note carefully that the listener does not become a reinforcer for the speaker – which is a common
incorrect answer when I ask this question (actually the listener could become a reinforcer for the
listener but that is not the point of this analysis, so I will consider this answer incorrect)
(Skinner quote next slide along with diagram, 28B)

60. SO26B: The diagram and explanation
Skinner:
“An audience, then, is a discriminative stimulus in the presence of which verbal behavior is characteristically reinforced and in the presence of which, therefore, it is characteristically strong.” *
SD: R (speaker)  GSr or SR/Sr
(audience) verbal response reinforcement
provided by
S∆: R (speaker)  EXT
No (audience) verbal response No reinforcement
*And in the absence of which verbal behavior is not reinforced, emphasis on Sr, Ext)

61. SO26: The listener, a qualification
The audience is an SD in the presence of which a verbal response is characteristically strong, but the audience does not control the type of the verbal response (verbal operant)
The antecedent MO, nonverbal stimulus, or verbal stimulus that is also present controls the type of the verbal response
Example
MO: (food dep): SD (friend): R (will you share your potato chips with me?)  SR (food)
SD: (sight of Dr. D): SD (friend): R (hey, there’s Dr. D!)  Sr (“glad you warned me, man!”)
(whether you emit a mand, tact, intraverbal, etc.,

62. The functional independence of mands and tacts
LaMarre & Holland (1985) JEAB
The functional independence of mands and tacts

63. LaMarre & Holland intro
This study demonstrates that the elementary verbal operants are functionally independent, that is:
Controlled by different variables (MO, verbal SD, nonverbal SD)
Just because a person can say “milk” as a mand does not mean that the person can say “milk” as a tact
A word is not a word is not a word
Common belief both in both linguistics and lay community is that we learn the “meaning” of a word and then can use it in all different situations
(as we get older and become fluent speakers, this changes, and we can/do generalize across the verbal operants; the fact that children can’t means that we
should be teaching verbal behavior to those who have trouble developing it very differently than has often been done in the past; stroke victims/brain injured/alzhiemers
tend to loose Ts before other elementary operants – can mand easily, but not emit tacts)

64. SO29: LaMarre & Holland summary
Participants: 9 children, 3 ½ - 5 years old
Verbal responses: “on the right” and “on the left”
4 participants
Trained “on the right” and “on the left” as mands
Tested to see whether the kids could then tact “on the right” and “on the left”
Trained to tact “on the right” and “on the left”
Reversed mand training: Retrained the kids to say
“on the right” when they wanted an object placed on the left and
“on the left” when they wanted an object placed on the right
Tested to see if the tacts “on the right” and “on the left” reversed as well
(typically developing kids, couldn’t use colors, animals, etc., verbal response the kids couldn’t emit as a mand or tact)

65. SO29: LaMarre & Holland summary
5 participants as control received tact training first
Trained “on the right” and “on the left” as tacts
Tested to see whether the kids could then mand “on the right” and “on the left”
Trained to mand “on the right” and “on the left”
Reversed tact training: Retrained the kids to say
“on the right” when the object was on the left and
“on the left” when the object was on the right
Tested to see if the mands “on the right” and “on the left” reversed as well

66. SO35: Results for mands and tacts
For all nine participants, mands and tacts were shown to be functionally independent. That is,
Children who were first trained to mand “on the right” and “on the left” were not able to tact “on the right” and “on the left” and
Children who were first trained to tact “on the right” and “on the left” were not able to mand “on the right” and “on the left”

67. SO36: Results, reversed mand and tact training
For six of the nine participants reversing one verbal operant did not reverse the other. That is,
Children who were retrained to say
“on the right” when they wanted the object on the left and “on the left” when they wanted the object on the right as mands
continued to tact “on the right” when the object was, indeed, on the right and “on the left” when the object was, indeed, on the left
“on the right” when the object was actually on the left and “on the left” when the object was actually on the right as tacts
continued to say “on the right” when they wanted the object on the right and “on the left” when they wanted the object on the left as mands

68. NFE: Methodogical quirk, L & M
The tacts and mands in this study were not “pure” tacts and mands
When training and testing tacts, the Es placed objects on the right or on the left and asked:
Where is the [dog, flower, car]?
Because of that, the tact was really a part tact, part IV
When training and testing mands, the Es asked
Where do you want me to put the [dog, flower, car]?
Again, because of the question, the mand was really part mand, part IV
(last slide on this – next slide, Loftus)

69. Make-Believe Memories
Elizabeth F. Loftus (2003), American Psychologist
Make-Believe Memories

70. Loftus intro Nothing from this article will be on the exam
The article demonstrates how easily our memories become “make-believe”
Below are some of the general results of her work
Eyewitness testimony – it is very easy to influence what a person “remembers” after seeing a crime or an accident
Planting false memories – it is also easy to create a memory for an event that never happened; even very implausible events like witnessing the demonic possession of a child can be “planted”
Rich false memories – individuals create details and embellish events that never happened; that is they don’t just repeat or “remember” the false memory that was planted
People act on those false memories - people believe them and even change their nonverbal behavior to be consistent with the false memory
(I included it because it is fascinating work you should know about and is highly relevant to our analysis of verbal behavior, although Loftus does not talk about it that way; last point – they have already altered their verbal behavior)

71. Loftus intro Implications are far reaching
False convictions based on (or at least partially on) eyewitness testimony
False indictments of individuals for sexual or physical abuse based on “recovered memories” of victims
False indictments of individuals for sexual and physical abuse done during satanic rituals
Less dramatic, but nonetheless,
Changes in the way we behave toward certain people based on our false memories of being insulted by them or something we falsely remember them doing that we found offensive

72. Loftus intro (actually also SO44)
Loftus: Two things can affect memory
Simple suggestion
Plying the person with false feedback
More behaviorally:
Altering the form of the verbal SDs that control/evoke our intraverbal and echoic responses
Reinforcing the intraverbal/echoic responses that are emitted by the speaker, and shaping them through subtle forms of reinforcement
“Good, you remember that.”
“I know that must have been traumatic for you. Tell me more about it”
A simple nod, eye contact, or smile
Note all of the above are forms of GSrs

73. Examples from Loftus’ work
Showed people videos of traffic accidents and then altered the questions she asked them
The verbal SD of “Did you see the broken headlight” led to more false reports of a broken headlight than did the verbal SD of “Was there a broken headlight?”
The verbal SD of “How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other” led to higher estimates of speed than did “How fast were the cars going when they hit each other?”
(it’s pretty easy to analyze, under ordinary circumstances, in a regular conversation, people don’t ask us if we saw the something if that something never happened-and
In fact may provide mild punishment if we say no – what do you mean you didn’t see it?? second question is much more “neutral.”)

74. More examples, the lost in the mall technique or planting false memories
College students were given descriptions of events that had happened when they were young (put together by family members)
One event, being lost in a mall, was false
25% of the participants came to believe they had indeed become lost in a mall for an extended period of time, were highly upset, and were ultimately rescued and returned to their family by an elderly individual
Many added embellishing details

75. One more example
Adults were led to believe that they had personally met Bugs Bunny at Disneyland
62% of those who believed this personal encounter said they shook his hand
46% remembered hugging him
Others remembered touching his ear or tail, or hearing him say “What’s up Doc?”
What is wrong with this?
Why isn’t this even possible?
(led to believe Bugs had touched them inappropriately)

76. One more example
Bugs Bunny is a Warner Brothers cartoon character and----
“the wascally Warner Bros. Wabbit would be awwested on sight” at Disney
(Malcolm, 2003, Los Angeles Times)

77. To end
Much of what we refer to as memory is verbal behavior (some is visual memory)
Our verbal behavior can be easily influenced by
The verbal SDs that evoke and control our intraverbals
Reinforcement provided by the listener for what we say
Be careful – some of your memories may be false
And remember the memories of others may be false,
But in both cases they may be “honest lies”
(notice that we believe them to be true – we are not lying, they are, rather “honest” lies”)

78. Instructional assistance hours W 10/25, 5:00-7:00 Katie is “up”
THE END
Instructional assistance hours W 10/25, 5:00-7:00 Katie is “up”