The Effects of Auditory Tact and Auditory Imagining Instructions on the Emergence of Novel Intraverbals

Abstract

The current research investigated whether intraverbals would emerge following auditory tact instruction. Participants were first taught to tact auditory stimuli by providing the name of the item or animal that produces the sound (e.g., saying “eagle” when presented with the recording of an eagle cawing). Following test probes for simple intraverbals as well as intraverbal categorization participants were taught to tact what each auditory stimulus is (e.g., saying “caw” when presented with the recording of an eagle cawing). Following both tact instructional phases, the effects of an auditory imagining instruction procedure on target intraverbals were examined. Results indicate that following both tact instructional phases, intraverbals increased for three of four participants. Auditory imagining instruction was sufficient for two of four participants to reach mastery criterion, and two of four participants needed some direct instruction. Low covariation between simple intraverbal and categorization was also observed. Functional interdependence between tacts and intraverbals and the possible role of a conditioned hearing response are discussed.

Appendix A

Auditory Imagining Script for Stimulus Set 2

If someone asks me a question, and I don’t know the answer I try to talk myself through it. For example if someone asks me what sound a car makes, I would say to myself ‘what other sounds do I know;

I know that an Eagle goes, [Eagle cawing], right an eagle goes caw,

I know that a Toad goes, [Toad croaking], right a toad goes croak,

I know that a Cricket goes, [Cricket chirping], right a Cricket goes chirp chirp,

I know that a Campfire goes, [campfire crackle], right a campfire goes crackle,

I know that Wind goes, [wind whoosh], right wind goes whoosh,

I know that a Computer mouse goes, [CM click], right a computer mouse goes click,

I know that Keys goes, [Keys jingling], right keys go jingle,

I know that a Clock tower goes, [CT ding dong], right a clock tower goes ding dong,

I know that an Alarm goes, [Alarm buzz], right an alarm goes buzz,

And I know that a Tambourine goes, [Tambourine rattle], right a tambourine goes rattle.