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U6: Verbal Behavior

Schedule Thursday, 3/14 and Tuesday, 3/19: U6 lecture Thursday, 3/21: E6 Wednesday, 3/20: E6 Instructional Assistance, 7:00-9:00 pm Monday, 03/18: Last day to drop w/o academic penalty. U6: Verbal Behavior. PSY 4600. Verbal Behavior.

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U6: Verbal Behavior

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  1. Schedule Thursday, 3/14 and Tuesday, 3/19: U6 lecture Thursday, 3/21: E6 Wednesday, 3/20: E6 Instructional Assistance, 7:00-9:00 pm Monday, 03/18: Last day to drop w/o academic penalty U6: Verbal Behavior PSY 4600

  2. Verbal Behavior (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. ) • 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

  3. Overview of unit (not the first, language tr.; Sundberg&Assoc; BattleCreek,dept. dist alum, 2001; the current version is based on over 30 years of research) • 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)

  4. 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

  5. Mark Sundberg, then and now marksundberg.com

  6. SO1: VB and properties of language: formal vs. functional (classification of words as nouns, pronouns, adverbs, verbs, prepositional clauses, etc.) • 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

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

  8. 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

  9. Development of verbal behavior • Verbal Behavior, 1957 • Skinner believed it was his most important work • However, it wasn’t until 25-30 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)

  10. What took so long? 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)

  11. What took so long? (Jack Michael was Sundberg’s advisor; well recognized as the leading behavior analyst in VB; I took the class with Michael in 1981) 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)

  12. 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)

  13. 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)

  14. 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”

  15. [In some contexts verbal is a synonym for vocal (making sounds with the vocal musculature). In such contexts, writing, gesturing, etc. would be nonverbal.] SO6: Verbal vs. Vocal: A Possible Confusion For Skinner vb is any behavior reinforced through the mediation of another person's behavior.

  16. An aside: Finger spelling

  17. SO6: Examples of vocal verbal behavior 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 (use of vocal musculature) 4. Clear your throat to get attention (use of vocal musculature)

  18. SO6: Examples of nonvocal verbal behavior *in addition to writing, signing, reading, braille, picture communication systems • 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

  19. SO6: Examples of vocal and nonvocal nonverbal behavior (could be verbal as well – grutning, wanting your roomate to help you lift something; yawning, wanting someone to leave; next slide, verbal operants) • Vocal nonverbal 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

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

  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 Mand : Response Nonverbal SD MO Response Response Specific Reinforcement related to the MO Generalized Sr “SpongeBob” Mom shows the child the SpongeBob video on the iPad Child wants the SpongeBob video Tact : “SpongeBob” Mom says, “Good! Yes, that is SpongeBob.” Child sees poster of 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: 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 • 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” (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 Listener reinforces • 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”)

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

  33. Examples of Tacts A tendency to: Solely as a result of: 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 • Sign “tree” • Say “up” • Text “AITR” • Write “helicopter” • Say “DVD”* • Finger spell “Caio” • Say “bacon” • Say “high” • Write “PSY 4600, U5” (*”correctness” doesn’t matter)

  34. NFE: Multiple control, part mand, part tact A tendency to As a result of* 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 • Say “pizza” • Sign “truck” • Write “leave” (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 Listener reinforces 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)

  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 Response Response product The auditorystimulus of hearing “milk” The visual stimulus of the written word “milk” The visual stimulus of the sign “milk” • 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” (bold faced part must be included – technical terminology; questions? Next slide pt to pt correspondence)

  39. SO17: Now to point-to-point correspondence (Reminder: echoics are evoked by a verbal SD that has pt to pt correspondence and formal similarity with the response product) 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

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

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

  42. SO17: Point-to-point correspondence (nonexamples, next slide) 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”)

  43. SO17: Point-to-point correspondence (cannot be ptp correspondence between signing and anything but signing) 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”)

  44. SO18 Formal similarity *For signing must be another sign, not just a visual stimulus such as a written word • Formal similarity • The verbal SD and the response product must have point-to-point correspondence • Note: that is, you cannot have formal similarity unless you have point-to-point correspondence • AND, both the verbal SD and the response product are in the same sense mode • That is, both are auditory, visual, signed*, or tactile

  45. SO18: Formal similarity (questions? Examples of echoics next) • 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 (say “bear”) ptp, visual/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

  46. Back to echoics (less technically, there is an exact match between the verbal SD and response product; onto intraverbals) • 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

  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 Listener reinforces (no ptp, sense mode doesn’t matter) 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”)

  49. SO22 and SO23: The Intraverbal (same examples, no ptp, sense mode doesn’t matter) 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

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