Verbal Behavior: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:57, 9 February 2025

Verbal Behavior

Verbal behavior is a form of behavior that is reinforced through the mediation of other people. It is a concept developed by the psychologist B.F. Skinner in his book Verbal Behavior, published in 1957. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior is based on the principles of operant conditioning, which he applied to the study of language.

Overview

Skinner's work on verbal behavior is a part of his broader theory of behaviorism, which emphasizes the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior. In Verbal Behavior, Skinner proposed that language is a behavior that can be analyzed in terms of its functional relations with the environment, rather than as a cognitive process.

Types of Verbal Operants

Skinner identified several types of verbal operants, which are the basic units of verbal behavior. These include:

Mand: A type of verbal operant in which a speaker asks for something that they want or need. For example, saying "water" when thirsty.
Tact: A verbal operant in which a speaker names or identifies objects, actions, or events. For example, saying "dog" when seeing a dog.
Intraverbal: A verbal operant involving a response to the verbal behavior of another person. For example, answering "Paris" when asked "What is the capital of France?"
Echoic: A verbal operant that involves repeating what another person has said. For example, saying "hello" after someone else says "hello."
Textual: A verbal operant that involves reading written words.
Transcription: A verbal operant that involves writing or typing spoken words.

Criticism and Influence

Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior has been both influential and controversial. Critics, such as the linguist Noam Chomsky, have argued that Skinner's behaviorist approach cannot adequately explain the complexity of human language. Chomsky's review of Verbal Behavior in 1959 was a significant critique that contributed to the decline of behaviorism and the rise of cognitive psychology.

Despite the criticism, Skinner's work on verbal behavior has had a lasting impact on fields such as applied behavior analysis (ABA), where it is used to teach language and communication skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.

Related pages

References

Skinner, B.F. (1957). Verbal Behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Chomsky, N. (1959). "A Review of B. F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior". Language, 35(1), 26-58.

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-'''Verbal Behavior''' is a term in [[psychology]] and [[linguistics]] that refers to a form of [[behavior]] that is mediated by the use of language or symbols. It encompasses both spoken and written language, as well as non-verbal forms of communication such as sign language. The concept of verbal behavior is central to understanding how humans communicate, learn, and interact with their environment.
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
+{{Psychology}}
-==Definition==
+== Verbal Behavior ==
-Verbal behavior is defined as behavior that is reinforced through the mediation of another person's behavior. This means that unlike non-verbal behavior, which can have direct physical effects on the environment, verbal behavior affects the environment through the social mediation of other people's actions. The term was popularized by [[B.F. Skinner]] in his 1957 book, ''Verbal Behavior'', where he analyzed language based on the principles of [[behaviorism]].
+[[File:VerbalBehavior.jpg|thumb|right|Cover of the book ''Verbal Behavior'' by B.F. Skinner]]
+'''Verbal behavior''' is a form of [[behavior]] that is reinforced through the mediation of other people. It is a concept developed by the psychologist [[B.F. Skinner]] in his book ''Verbal Behavior'', published in 1957. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior is based on the principles of [[operant conditioning]], which he applied to the study of language.
-==Types of Verbal Behavior==
+== Overview ==
-Skinner identified several types of verbal behavior, each distinguished by its controlling variables:
+Skinner's work on verbal behavior is a part of his broader theory of [[behaviorism]], which emphasizes the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior. In ''Verbal Behavior'', Skinner proposed that language is a behavior that can be analyzed in terms of its functional relations with the environment, rather than as a cognitive process.
-* '''Mands''': Requests or demands, controlled by a state of deprivation or aversion, where the speaker is benefited.
-* '''Tacts''': Comments about the environment, controlled by external stimuli, where the reinforcement is social in nature.
-* '''Intraverbals''': Responses to other verbal behavior, where the stimulus is verbal and the response does not directly correspond to the stimulus.
-* '''Echoics''': Imitations of verbal behavior, where the stimulus and response are identical.
-* '''Autoclitics''': Verbal behavior that modifies or refers to other verbal behavior, providing additional context or meaning.
-==Applications and Implications==
+== Types of Verbal Operants ==
-The analysis of verbal behavior has significant implications for various fields:
+Skinner identified several types of verbal operants, which are the basic units of verbal behavior. These include:
-* In [[education]], particularly in teaching language and communication skills to individuals with [[autism]] or other developmental disorders.
-* In [[clinical psychology]] and [[psychotherapy]], understanding verbal behavior can enhance therapeutic communication and intervention strategies.
-* In [[linguistics]], it offers a behavioral perspective on language development and usage.
-==Criticism and Controversy==
+* '''Mand''': A type of verbal operant in which a speaker asks for something that they want or need. For example, saying "water" when thirsty.
-Skinner's behaviorist view of language has been criticized, particularly by [[Noam Chomsky]] in his 1959 review of ''Verbal Behavior''. Chomsky argued that Skinner's approach failed to account for the complexity of human language, including the ability to produce and understand novel sentences. This criticism helped to spur the development of the [[cognitive science]] approach to language and mind.
+* '''Tact''': A verbal operant in which a speaker names or identifies objects, actions, or events. For example, saying "dog" when seeing a dog.
+* '''Intraverbal''': A verbal operant involving a response to the verbal behavior of another person. For example, answering "Paris" when asked "What is the capital of France?"
+* '''Echoic''': A verbal operant that involves repeating what another person has said. For example, saying "hello" after someone else says "hello."
+* '''Textual''': A verbal operant that involves reading written words.
+* '''Transcription''': A verbal operant that involves writing or typing spoken words.
-==See Also==
+== Criticism and Influence ==
+Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior has been both influential and controversial. Critics, such as the linguist [[Noam Chomsky]], have argued that Skinner's behaviorist approach cannot adequately explain the complexity of human language. Chomsky's review of ''Verbal Behavior'' in 1959 was a significant critique that contributed to the decline of behaviorism and the rise of [[cognitive psychology]].
+Despite the criticism, Skinner's work on verbal behavior has had a lasting impact on fields such as [[applied behavior analysis]] (ABA), where it is used to teach language and communication skills to individuals with [[autism spectrum disorder]] and other developmental disabilities.
+== Related pages ==
 * [[Behaviorism]]
-* [[Cognitive Psychology]]
+* [[B.F. Skinner]]
-* [[Language Acquisition]]
+* [[Operant conditioning]]
-* [[Speech Therapy]]
+* [[Applied behavior analysis]]
+* [[Noam Chomsky]]
-==References==
+== References ==
-<references/>
+* Skinner, B.F. (1957). ''Verbal Behavior''. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
+* Chomsky, N. (1959). "A Review of B. F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior". ''Language'', 35(1), 26-58.
 [[Category:Behaviorism]]
-[[Category:Linguistics]]
+[[Category:Psychology]]
-[[Category:Psychology of language]]
+[[Category:Language acquisition]]
-{{psychology-stub}}