1. Presented by:
Khrystle Montallana

2.  What is Verbal Behavior?
 Verbal behavior is the behavioral term for
language.
▪ Examples:
▪ The bartender asks, “What would you like to drink?” You
reply, “A cranberry and vodka, please.”
▪ During a verbal imitation program, you say “puppy”. Jimmy
says, “puppy” and you reinforce his response with a cheeto.

3.  Words are behavior!
 Understanding the FUNCTION of language
(the effects of language on the environment
and those environmental variables that
produce language) is critical to promoting
the acquisition of speech and language.

4.  Some components of verbal behavior
include:
 Echoics
 Mands
 Tacts
 Intraverbals

5.  What is an echoic?
 Verbal behavior (language) whose form is
controlled by someone else's verbal behavior with
point-to-point (1:1) correspondence (e.g. the child
echoes exactly the speech of the teacher).
 Real-life examples:
▪ A Spanish friend is teaching you Spanish. She says “Hola”
and you say, “Hola”.
▪ A friend asks for your phone number. You say, “555-1213”.
Your friend repeats it, “555-1213”.

6.  An echoic is evoked by:
 The verbal behavior of another person.
 An echoic is reinforced by:
 Praise
 Example:
▪ During Timmy’s verbal imitation program, you say
“Cupcake”. Timmy repeats, “Cupcake”. You say “Good!”

7.  What is a mand?
 Request
 Real-life examples:
▪ Saying, “I’ll have a non-fat iced latte” to the Starbucks
employee.
▪ A child asking, “Can I pet your dog?”

8.  A mand is evoked by:
 Motivating operations (e.g. desire to attain
items, activities, or information)
 A mand is reinforced by:
 Receipt of object requested
 Examples:
▪ After playing outside in the heat, Timmy points to a water bottle
and says, “Water.” You reinforce his response with a cup of water.
▪ You are pushing Timmy on the swings. You stop and he says
“Push”. You reinforce his behavior by pushing him.

9.  What is a tact?
 Naming, expressive labels
 Real-life examples:
 Hearing Tupac on the radio and saying “It’s
Tupac.”
 Smelling smoke and saying “Fire!”

10.  A tact is evoked by:
 The presence of stimuli in the environment (SD)
 A tact is reinforced by:
 Praise
 Examples:
▪ You show Skylar a picture of a flower. She says “flower”. You
say “Good job!”
▪ While playing with Barbie, Skylar says “Pink”, referencing
the color of Barbie’s shoes. You say “You’re right, her shoes
are pink!”

11.  What are intraverbals?
 Verbal behavior (language) evoked by other verbal
behavior.
 Intraverbals include:
▪ Fill in the blanks
▪ Answers to questions
▪ Conversation with comments and questions
 Real-life examples:
▪ A friend asks, “How are you?” You reply, “I’m fine, thanks”.
▪ An employer asks, “Where do you go to school?” You
reply, “Western Michigan.”

12.  An intraverbal is evoked by:
 A Verbal stimulus (language)
 An intraverbal is reinforced by:
 Consequences unrelated to the verbal
response
 Examples:
▪ You ask Jimmy, “Where do you go to school?” He
replies, “KAC”.
▪ While singing with Jimmy, you say
“Twinkle, twinkle, little ____” and he says “Star.”

13.  Similarity:
 Echoics, tacts, and intraverbals are all forms of verbal
behavior.
 Differences:
 Tact vs. Intraverbal
▪ Different SDs
▪ Intraverbal= verbal SD
▪ Tact= presence, sound, feel etc. of a stimulus
 Echoic vs. Intraverbal
▪ Correspondence of SD response
▪ Echoic: SD (“Cookie”)  Response (“Cookie”)
▪ Intraverbal: verbal SD (“1, 2”) Response (“3”)

14. Echoic Mand Tact
Also called N/A Requesting Naming
Evoked by Verbal behavior of Motivation SD (Non-verbal)
others Operation
Reinforced by Praise Receipt of object Praise
requested

15.  Components of Verbal Behavior include:
 Echoics
 Mands
 Tacts
 Intraverbals
 All of the above
 You say, ‘555-1213.’ And your friend repeats it, ‘555-1213.’ This is an example of a/an _____________________.
 Echoic
 Mand
 Tact
 Intraverbal
 A mand is ---________________.
 A label
 Verbal behavior evoked by other verbal behavior.
 A request
 An intraverbal is evoked by _____________.
 Verbal stimuli (language)
 A motivation operation
 An Sd (non-verbal)
 An example of an intraverbal is:
 You are pushing Jimmy on the swings. You stop and he says, ‘Push.’ You reinforce his behavior by pushing him.
 While singing with Jimmy you say “Twinkle, twinkle little ­­­_______" and he says, ‘Star.’
 You ask Jimmy, ‘Where do you go to school?’ He replies, ‘KAC.’
 B&C

16.  Levin, L. (2007). ABA-Based Strategies to Promote
Speech and Language: Incidental Teaching, Pivotal
Response Training, and Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal
Behavior. Powerpoint Presented in Orange County.
 Malott, R.W. (2009). Principles of Behavior. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
 Sundberg M.L, Partington J.W. (1998).Teaching
Language to Children With Autism and Other
Developmental Disabilities. Pleasant Hill, CA:
Behavior Analysts, Inc.