Skinner's Verbal Behavior

Skinner Verbal Behavior

• Language is a behavior learned and maintained by environmental factors
• Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957) involves behavior reinforced through the mediation of others
• These "others" respond in ways conditioned to reinforce the speaker's behavior
• In verbal episodes, a Speaker emits verbal responses like speech, sign language, or eye contact
• A Listener serves as an audience, reinforcing and responding to the Speaker's behavior

Elementary Verbal Operants: Mand

• The form of a response is controlled by a motivating operation (MO) and reinforcement history
• Reinforcement for a mand is specific to the motivating operation

Elementary Verbal Operants: Tact

• The form of a response is controlled by a nonverbal discriminative stimulus (SD) and conditioned reinforcement history

Elementary Verbal Operants: Duplic

• Echoic responses involve vocal forms controlled by auditory verbal SDs with formal similarity and generalized reinforcement history
• Motor imitation involves motor responses controlled by visual verbal SDs with formal similarity and generalized reinforcement history
• Copying text involves transcriptive responses controlled by textual verbal SDs with formal similarity and generalized reinforcement history

Elementary Verbal Operants: Codic

• Textual responses are controlled by verbal SDs and generalized reinforcement history, lacking formal similarity
• Textual responses involve a broader match between verbal stimulus and response, exhibiting point-to-point correspondence
• Parts of a verbal stimulus correspond to parts of a verbal response without physical matching
• Taking dictation involves responses controlled by verbal SDs with point-to-point correspondence and generalized reinforcement history but lacks formal similarity

Intraverbal Responses

• The form of a response is controlled by a verbal SD without point-to-point correspondence with stimulus and generalized reinforcement history

Tact and Nonverbal Stimulus Control

• Tacts are evoked by nonverbal properties of the physical environment affecting receptor systems
• They need to be followed by generalized reinforcement
• Stimulus control develops if immediately followed by reinforcement

"Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" Characteristics

• Features step-by-step lessons where each builds on the previous one, increasing complexity
• Employs a phonics-based approach teaching children to recognize sounds, blend them, and read
• Includes scripted lessons providing teacher or parent scripts for easy implementation and consistency
• Incorporates daily practice with lessons taking 20-30 minutes each day
• Provides reinforcement and progression with frequent review, reinforcement, and gradual introduction of words and reading strategies

Siegfried Engelmann and Direct Instruction (DI)

• Educator and psychologist known for developing Direct Instruction (DI)
• Engelmann's teaching is based on the idea students can learn effectively with systematic and efficient teaching
• Co-founded the Engelmann-Teacher Education Program
• His method emphasizes clear, explicit instruction via direct and step-by-step guidance
• Uses scripted lessons for consistent, clear, and effective instruction
• Requires frequent student responses to engage and reinforce learning

Direct Instruction (DI) in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

• A structured, teacher-led approach with clear, step-by-step teaching and feedback
• Promotes skill acquisition through repeated opportunities for practice
• Involves clear, specific instructions in manageable steps for mastery
• Teachers use prompts (verbal, visual, or physical) to guide learners, faded over time
• Frequent positive reinforcement motivates and rewards progress
• Active student participation with frequent responding and practice
• Teachers monitor and collect data on learner progress

Siegfried “Zig” Engelmann

• "If the student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught - that's no a slogan, it's an operating principle."

Project Submission Guidelines

• Provide step-by-step information and instructions for the project
• Include how to collect data with a corresponding data sheet
• Establish mastery and generalization criteria
• List materials required, including role-play materials if applicable
• Add teaching steps (based on the article when possible) in a logical progression
• Base procedures on the article, conforming to the Seven Dimensions of ABA
• Provide reference article