Abstract
Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behavior suggests the functional independence of the verbal operants. However, only a few empirical studies have directly examined the nature of these operants, and their independence. The present study evaluated whether teaching topographies as tacts would lead to their emission as mands. The results indicated that manding only occurred reliably after direct mand training, which consisted of the use of imitative and tact prompts, and fading those prompts, to transfer stimulus control from nonverbal stimuli to conditioned establishing operations. The results contribute to the existing data on the functional independence of mands and tacts, as well as demonstrate the value of manipulating conditioned establishing operations for mand training.
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Portions of this paper are based on a thesis submitted by the senior author to Western Michigan University in 1979, in partial fulfillment of the requirement of a masters degree.
The authors wish to thank Gerald L. Shook, former coordinator of the Kalamazoo Valley Multihandicap Center (now Croyden Ave School), for his administrative support for this research. Appreciation is also extended to Mark Stafford and Ray Miltenberger for their assistance in conducting the study, and to Jack Michael, Wayne Fuqua and David Ray for their helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.
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Hall, G., Sundberg, M.L. Teaching mands by manipulating conditioned establishing operations. Analysis Verbal Behav 5, 41–53 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392819
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392819