The verbal operants: mand, tact, echoic, intraverbal, and more

Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior sorts language by why a response happens, not by what it sounds like. The same word, "water," can be four different operants depending on what came before it and what follows it.

Why it matters

Language programs are built from these units. A learner who can label a cup on a table may still be unable to ask for a drink when thirsty, because tacts and mands are functionally independent: learning one does not guarantee the other. When you assess a learner, write goals, or troubleshoot a stalled program, you need to know which operant you are actually teaching.

Practice items on this task usually describe an antecedent, a response, and a consequence, and ask you to name the operant. The fastest route is to identify the controlling antecedent first, then check the consequence.

Key ideas

• Verbal behavior is defined by function. It is behavior reinforced through the mediation of another person (a listener). Vocal speech, signs, picture exchange, writing, and speech-generating devices all count.
• Ask three questions about every response.
  1. What is the antecedent: a motivating operation, a nonverbal stimulus, or a verbal stimulus?
  2. If the antecedent is verbal, do the stimulus and response have point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity?
  3. What kind of reinforcement follows: the specific thing the response names, or generalized social reinforcement?
• The mand is the one elementary operant whose form is controlled mainly by an MO. It "specifies" its own reinforcer and mainly benefits the speaker.
• The tact is controlled by a nonverbal stimulus, something the speaker sees, hears, smells, tastes, or touches, and is maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement such as praise or "That's right." It mainly benefits the listener.
• Echoic, intraverbal, textual, and transcription responses are all controlled by verbal stimuli. Correspondence and form are what separate them. Copying a text (writing a word you see written) and imitating a sign you see also have both point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity.
• The autoclitic is secondary verbal behavior. It depends on other verbal behavior and modifies how that behavior affects the listener.
• Listener behavior is not a speaker operant. Touching the picture of a dog when someone says "dog" is the listener's response. It is often taught alongside tacts, but it is a separate repertoire.

Definitions

• Mand: a verbal operant whose form is controlled by a current motivating operation and whose reinforcement is specific to that MO. Example: "Help!" when a jar won't open, reinforced by help.
• Tact: a verbal operant evoked by a nonverbal stimulus and maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement.
• Echoic: a vocal response to a vocal verbal stimulus with point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity (repeating what you hear).
• Intraverbal: a response to a verbal stimulus with no point-to-point correspondence, such as answering questions, finishing songs, or conversational replies.
• Textual: reading aloud. A written stimulus evokes a spoken response with point-to-point correspondence but no formal similarity, because the sense modes differ.
• Transcription: writing or typing words that are spoken, as in taking dictation. Point-to-point correspondence, no formal similarity.
• Autoclitic: verbal behavior that depends on other verbal behavior and modifies its effect on the listener, such as "I think," "not," or "definitely."
• Point-to-point correspondence: the beginning, middle, and end of the stimulus match the beginning, middle, and end of the response.
• Formal similarity: the stimulus and response share the same sense mode and physically resemble each other.

Examples from a session

This is why mand training depends on the MO. Programs capture an MO already present or contrive one (a favorite toy in view but out of reach). If no MO is in effect when the learner says the word, the response is more likely under tact or echoic control than mand control.

Common mistakes / exam traps

• Classifying by the word. "Cookie" is not automatically a mand. Look for the MO and the specific reinforcer.
• Mixing up echoic and textual. Both have point-to-point correspondence, but only the echoic has formal similarity (hearing to saying). Reading crosses modes.
• Mixing up textual and transcription. Textual goes from written to spoken. Transcription goes from spoken to written.
• Calling any answer to a question a tact. If a verbal stimulus evokes the response and there is no nonverbal stimulus controlling it, it is intraverbal.
• Treating receptive identification as a tact. Pointing to an item on request is listener behavior.

Quick check

Related topics

• Multiple control in verbal behavior (B.20)
• Motivating operations in action (B.16)
• Recognizing stimulus control (B.12)
• Rule-governed vs. contingency-shaped behavior (B.18)
• Emergent relations and generative performance (B.21)
• Imitation vs. observational learning (B.24)