Nesrhtens…..

Skinner´s definition of verbal operants describes the functional independence of the different operants, and research has demonstrated this several times. And in the recent issue of Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Shillingsburg and colleagues published a new study on training Yes and No responding across verbal operants.

This study supports previous findings that responses did not generalize across operants without additional training. The yes and no responses generalized within the verbal operants, but additional training was required for establishing these topographies in within other operants. This study included similar antecedents across operants, which has been supposed to facilitate generalization, but the results of this study do not show this effect.

As stated earlier and in this article, an interesting and important area for research are procedures and techniques to facilitate generalization across verbal operants. This would probably be a great contribution to the behavior analytic teaching for children with autism and others with language delays.

Related posts:

1. Using Lag Schedule Reinforcement Schedules to Increase Vocal Variability in Children with Autism
2. The Role of Verbal Behavior, Stimulus Nameability, And Familiarity on the Equivalences of Autistic and Normally Developing Children
3. General Outcome Measures.