Verbal Behavior

Verbal Behavior

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.

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

• Behaviorism
• B.F. Skinner
• Operant conditioning
• Applied behavior analysis
• Noam Chomsky

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.