U 5 Verbal Behavior Schedule Thursday 225 U

U 5: Verbal Behavior Schedule: Thursday, 2/25, U 5 lecture Tuesday, 3/01, Make-up Exam 1 (units 1 -3) Thursday, 3/03, U 5 lecture Tuesday, 3/15, E 5, after semester break Monday, 3/14: Last day to drop without academic penalty PSY 4600 1

Verbal Behavior �May feel there is a gap in your knowledge of psychology – there is, and VB fills that gap �Need to understand verbal behavior to understand what is commonly referred to as higher level “cognitive processes” Thinking Memory Consciousness (what you have learned to date just can’t account for these; you are right; complex; only going to touch on it in this unit – chapter by Sundberg does go further than I am going to go. ) 2

Overview of unit �Verbal Behavior: 3 articles in the unit Article by Mark Sundberg ▪ Ph. D. , WMU, 1980 ▪ First to systematically apply Skinner’s analysis of vb to language intervention programs for children with autism and developmental disabilities ▪ First to develop an assessment of vb in children using Skinner’s analysis ▪ First version sold over 175, 000 copies around the globe ▪ Second version, published in Sept. 2008, has sold over 500, 000 copies, with sales in 25 different countries (VB MAPP) (not the first, language tr. ; Sundberg&Assoc; Battle. Creek, dept. dist alum, 2001; the current version is based on over 30 years of research) 3

Overview, cont. �Research article by La. Marre & Holland Demonstrates the “functional independence” of mands and tacts Proves one of Skinner’s most important and basic analyses about VB ▪ A word is not a word – more on this later �Make-believe memories: Elizabeth Loftus Not required for the exam Fascinating and somewhat “scary” article about how easily our memories can be altered by suggestion (the vb of others) and reinforcement of our vb by others 4

Mark Sundberg, then and now marksundberg. com 5

SO 1: VB and properties of language: formal vs. functional �The formal properties of language involve the structure (i. e. , form) of language such as grammar Examples of structure, not for the exam, include Phonemes: individual speech sounds Morphemes: words, units that have meaning Lexicon: total collection of words in a language Syntax: organization of words, clauses, phrases into sentences (classification of words as nouns, pronouns, adverbs, prepositional clauses, etc. ) 6

SO 1: VB and properties of language: form vs. function �The functional properties of language involve the causes of the response Why we say, write, sign, etc. what we do (signing: American Sign Language; no more on slide) 7

Skinner’s analysis (NFE) �Skinner’s analysis is a functional analysis of language �Skinner did not criticize formal analyses of language (common misconception) �Skinner, however, was critical of the fact that there weren’t any adequate functional analyses of verbal behavior �A complete account of verbal behavior requires both formal and functional analyses 8

Development of verbal behavior �Verbal Behavior, 1957 �Skinner believed it was his most important work �However, it wasn’t until 25 -30 years later that his book became a “best seller” �Sundberg was the one who really made it catch fire because of his development of a practical training program for children with DD and autism (started at Croydon Ave –now Woods Edge, back in the 1970 s. ) (Skinner was actually an English major in college; wanted to be a writer; failed at that) 9

What took so long? 1982 �Linguists VB was strongly criticized by Chomsky, a popular psycholinguist Individuals in the humanities and social sciences do/did tend to have general anti-behavioral beliefs Recent reviews have been more sympathetic �Behavior Analysts Completely conceptual: no data! Extremely difficult book (Bob D’Louhy, Celcis; is incredible, because his analyses that have been investigated have been supported: La. Marre&Holland, TAVB, MS) 10

SO 3 Intro: Define verbal behavior �Verbal and nonverbal behavior Verbal behavior is no different than nonverbal operant behavior with respect to its causes It is learned, extended, and maintained by the same variables that cause nonverbal operant behavior ▪ Motivating operations ▪ SDs and S∆s ▪ Reinforcement, punishment, and extinction (definition on next slide) 11

SO 3: Define verbal behavior �Verbal behavior is behavior that is reinforced through the mediation of another person’s behavior Nonverbal: R (open door) Sr (door is open) Verbal: R (“open door”) Sr (listener opens door) Nonverbal: R (gets a glass of water) SR (water) Verbal: R (“May I have water? ”) SR (listener gives water) 12

NFE: Speaker vs. listener �Skinner makes a clear distinction between the speaker and listener �The speaker is the verbal behaver* �The listener is the person who is affected by what the speaker says** �Skinner’s analysis focuses on the speaker – that is, why does the speaker say what he says? *traditionally called “expressive language” **traditionally called “receptive language” 13

SO 6: Verbal vs. Vocal: A Possible Confusion [In some contexts verbal is a synonym for vocal (making sounds with the vocal musculature). In such contexts, writing, gesturing, etc. would be nonverbal. ] For Skinner vb is any behavior reinforced through the mediation of another person's behavior. vocal verbal making sounds with vocal musculature -- talking to someone to affect another person nonvocal verbal writing, signing (ASL), finger spelling, waving someone over, pointing to something, gesturing to affect another person vocal nonverbal coughing, yawning, grunting, -- making sounds with vocal musculature that are not done to affect another person walking, picking something up, opening a door, turning lights on, putting a key in a lock nonvocal nonverbal 14

SO 6: Examples of vocal verbal behavior � Vocal verbal behavior 1. Say “tree” as a result of seeing a tree 2. Smack your lips audibly so someone will give you food or water (use of vocal musculature) 3. Sigh audibly to get the attention of your significant other (use of vocal musculature) 4. Clear your throat to get attention (use of vocal musculature) 15

SO 6: Examples of nonvocal verbal behavior � Nonvocal verbal behavior* 1. Arms up, wants to be lifted up by Mom 2. Kick your sig. other under the table, wanting him to shut up 3. Pointing to a pastry in a bakery shop, wanting the clerk to get it for you 4. Waving for attention *in addition to writing, signing, reading, braille, picture communication systems 16

SO 6: Examples of vocal and nonvocal nonverbal behavior �Vocal nonverbal 1. Grunting as a result of lifting something heavy 2. Coughing as a result of an irritated throat 3. Yawning as a result of being tired, or to “unclog your ears” �Nonvocal nonverbal behavior 1. Looking at the clock, wanting to know the time 2. Putting up an umbrella, don’t want to get wet (could be verbal as well – grutning, wanting your roomate to help you lift something; yawning, wanting someone to leave; next slide, verbal operants) 17

SO 7: NFE, Intro to verbal operants �Skinner identified six verbal operants (also called elementary verbal relations) Mand Tact Echoic Intraverbal Textual Transcription 18

SO 7: NFE, intro to verbal operants �Skinner identified six verbal operants (also called elementary verbal relations) Mand Tact Echoic I am going to have you learn these four for the exam Intraverbal Textual Transcription (these are the ones required on the BA certification exam as well) 19

SO 7: NFE, What is a verbal operant? �Verbal responses that are controlled/caused by the same variables The classification system is based on what causes the verbal response ▪ What antecedent event/stimulus evokes the response ▪ What type of reinforcement follows the response Examples, next page) 20

Mands vs. Tacts Mand MO : Child wants the Sponge. Bob video Tact Nonverbal SD : Child sees poster of Sponge. Bob Specific Reinforcement related to the MO Response “Sponge. Bob” Mom gives the child the Sponge. Bob video Response “Sponge. Bob” (verbal response is the same; different antecedent and different type of reinforcement; antecedents …) Generalized Sr Mom says, “Good! Yes, that is Sponge. Bob. ”

Verbal Operants: Plain English Definitions � Mand: Asking for reinforcers you want Saying “shoe” because you want a shoe � Tact: Naming/identifying objects, actions, events, etc. Saying “shoe” because you see a shoe � Echoic: Repeating what is said, signed, or written Saying “shoe” after someone else says “shoe” � Intraverbal: Answering questions or word associations Saying “shoe” after someone else says “socks” � Textual: Reading written words Saying “shoe” because you see the written word “shoe” � Transcription: Writing or spelling words spoken to you Writing “shoe” because you hear someone say “shoe” (present them altogether first, then we will do them one by one; Not precise enough for science, but helpful; taking dictation – finger spelling) 22

SO 8 & SO 9: The Mand � Plain English: Asking for reinforcers you want � Technically, The antecedent event that controls the mand is the MO The type of reinforcement that follows the mand is reinforcement related to the MO Examples MO (want cookie): R (“cookie”) SR (cookie, provided by listener) MO (want to leave party): R (sign “leave”) Sr (leave with date) (form and MO next; more examples in a moment) 23

NFE: Sundberg’s definition of the mand some clarification �The mand is a verbal operant for which the form of the response is under the functional control of MOs and specific reinforcement What is meant by the form of the response? Just the specific “word” You say “pizza” if you want a pizza or food rather than “DVD” You say “stop” if you want someone to stop doing something rather than “book” (MO, next slide) 24

NFE: Sundberg’s definition of the mand some clarification What is a motivating operation? A motivating operation: -- makes a consequence more or less reinforcing and -- evokes or suppresses responses that have, in the past, resulted in that consequence Food deprivation: -- makes food more reinforcing and -- evokes responses that have, in the past, resulted in food 25

NFE: Sundberg’s definition of the mand some clarification For now, it’s OK to use “wanting” (except for the answer to SO 9 A: technically, what antecedent event controls the mand) Next unit, we spend the entire unit on MOs; it will NOT be OK to substitute the “wanting” for MO in that unit 26

Back to the Mand, more examples A TENDENCY TO: Say “apple” Sign “pen” Text “cm” Say “awesome boots” Hold up 2 fingers Say “salt, please” Write “this lecture sucks” Point to item on menu Say “thanks” (questions about the mand? next slide, tacts) SOLELY AS A RESULT OF: wanting an apple wanting a pen wanting a person to call you wanting more interaction wanting two things tasting food, wanting salt wanting attention frm another stdnt wanting to order that item wanting someone to help you in the future 27

Reinforcement for verbal operants �Mand: Reinforcement is specific to the MO ▪ If the MO is “wanting water” (water dep), the rft is water ▪ If the MO is “wanting” a pen, the reinforcement is the pen ▪ If the MO is “wanting” two things, the rft is the two things �All other verbal operants Reinforcement is generalized conditioned reinforcement 28

SO 12 & SO 13: The Tact � Plain English: Naming/identifying objects, actions, events, etc. � Technically, The antecedent event that controls a tact is a nonverbal SD The type of reinforcement that follows the tact is a generalized conditioned reinforcer Examples: Listener reinforces Speaker SD (see mommy): R ( say “mommy”) GSr (“that’s right, I’m mommy!”) SD (smelling smoke): R (sign “fire”) GSr (signs, “yes”) 29

SO 14: Table 25. 2, what’s wrong? �In Table 25. 2, the abbreviation for a generalized conditioned reinforcer is GCSR �What’s wrong with that? (slight digression: answer not on slide) 30

Examples of Tacts A TENDENCY TO: Sign “tree” Say “up” Text “AITR” Write “helicopter” Say “DVD”* Finger spell “Caio” Say “bacon” Say “high” Write “PSY 4600, U 5” (*”correctness” doesn’t matter) SOLELY AS A RESULT OF: seeing a tree feeling the elevator go up seeing an adult in the room hearing a helicopter seeing a CD seeing Caio’s girlfriend smelling bacon cooking seeing a kite in the air seeing Dr. Dickinson enter the room 31

NFE: Multiple control, part mand, part tact A TENDENCY TO Say “pizza” Sign “truck” Write “leave” (not “solely now; echoic next) AS A RESULT OF* both wanting and seeing a pizza both wanting and seeing a toy truck both wanting to leave a lecture and seeing someone else leave the lecture early 32

SO 15, 16 & 20: The Echoic � Plain English: Repeating what is heard, signed or written � Technically, The antecedent event that controls an echoic is a verbal SD that has point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity with the response product The type of reinforcer that follows the echoic is a generalized conditioned reinforcer (I’ll deal with point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity a bit later; all verbal operants, except the mand are reinforced with GSrs; examples next slide ) 33

SO 15, 16 & 20: The Echoic Examples: Speaker Listener reinforces SD (hear “book”): R ( say “book”) GSr (“good!”) SD (see someone sign “cat”): R (sign “cat”) GSr ( “yes”) SD (see “echoic” on white board): R (write “echoic”) GSr (OK gesture) 34

SO 19: Response vs. response product �Definition of a response Movement of the skeletal muscles, smooth muscles and secretion of the glands �Definition of a response product The visual, auditory, or tactile stimulus that results from the response (i. e. , the product of the response) (Before I deal with ptp corresp and formal similarity; review response product U 2: it’s a very important distinction in VB) 35

Examples, response vs. response product RESPONSE Movement of the skeletal and smooth muscles of the vocal musculature when saying “milk” Movement of the skeletal muscles when writing “milk” Movement of the skeletal muscles when signing “milk” RESPONSE PRODUCT The auditory stimulus of hearing “milk” The visual stimulus of the written word “milk” The visual stimulus of the sign “milk” (bold faced part must be included – technical terminology; questions? Next slide pt to pt correspondence) 36

SO 17: Now to point-to-point correspondence �Plain English: the response product is the same word as the stimulus (not good enough for the exam, but possibly helpful) �Technically, the beginning, middle, and end of the verbal SD matches the beginning, middle, and end of the response product (Reminder: echoics are evoked by a verbal SD that has pt to pt correspondence and formal similarity with the response product) 37

SO 17: Point-to-point correspondence �Examples SD (hear “cat”): R (say “cat”) SD (hear “cat”): R (write “cat”) 38

SO 17: Point-to-point correspondence �Examples SD (see “cat”): R (say “cat”) SD (see “cat”): R (write “cat”) 39

SO 17: Point-to-point correspondence �More examples SD (see someone sign “dog”): R (sign “dog”) SD (see someone finger spell “dog”): R (finger spell “dog”) SD (see “WMU” written): R (finger spell “WMU”) SD (see “snow” written): R (say “snow”) SD (hear someone say “bell”): R (write “bell”) (nonexamples, next slide) 40

SO 17: Point-to-point correspondence �Nonexamples SD (hear “dog”): R (say “chihuahua”) SD (see “ 5”): R (write “five”) SD (hear “percentage”): R (write “%”) SD (hear “write your name”): R (write your name: “Jeana”) SD (see someone sign “dog”): R (say “dog”) SD (see “cat”): R (sign “cat”) (cannot be ptp correspondence between signing and anything but signing) 41

SO 18 Formal similarity �Formal similarity Both the verbal SD and the response product are in the same sense mode That is, both are auditory, visual, or tactile* *For signing must be another sign, not just a visual stimulus such as a written word examples and nonexamples next) 42

SO 18: Formal similarity � Examples SD (hear “bear”): R (say “bear”) auditory/auditory SD (see “bear” written): R (write “bear”) visual/visual SD (see someone sign “bear”): R (sign “bear”) sign/sign Note these two SD (hear “milk”): R (say “cookies”) carefully. They have SD (see someone sign “milk”): R (sign “cookies”) formal similarity even SD (see “milk” written): R (write “milk”) though they do not have point-to-point � Nonexamples correspondence SD (hear “bear”): R (write “bear”) auditory/visual SD (see “bear” written): R (sign “bear”) visual/sign SD (see someone sign “bear”): R (say “bear”) sign/auditory SD (hear someone say “milk”): R (sign “cookies”) auditory/sign (questions? Examples of echoics next) 43

Back to echoics � Plain English: Repeating, imitating what is heard, signed or written � Technically, the antecedent event that controls an echoic is a verbal SD that has point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity with the response product Examples SD (hear “book”): R ( say “book”) ptp: auditory/auditory SD (see someone sign “cat”): R (sign “cat”) ptp: sign/sign SD (see “echoic” on white board): R (write “echoic”) ptp: visual/visual SD (see someone finger spell “WMU”): R (finger spell “WMU”) ptp: finger spell/finger spell (less technically, there is an exact match between the verbal SD and response product; onto intraverbals) 44

SO 22 and SO 23: The Intraverbal � Plain English: Answering questions and word associations � Technically, The antecedent event that controls an IV is a verbal SD that does not have point-to-point correspondence with the response product ▪ Note: formal similarity is irrelevant The type of reinforcer that follows an intraverbal is a generalized conditioned reinforcer (Sundberg doesn’t say word associations, but particularly helpful; words controlled by different words; examples next slide) 45

SO 22 and SO 23: The Intraverbal Examples: Speaker Listener reinforces SD (hear “color”): R ( say “red”) GSr (“Yes, red is a color. I like red, too”) SD (see someone sign “cat”): R (sign “dog”) GSr ( “yes”) SD (see “red, white, and”): R (say “blue”) GSr (listener smiles, nods) SD (hear “five”): R (write “ 5”) GSr (“yep”) SD (hear “where do you live? ”): R (say “Kalamazoo”) GSr (“that’s cool”) (no ptp, formal similarity doesn’t matter) 46

SO 22 and SO 23: The Intraverbal Examples: Speaker SD (hear “color”): R ( say “red”) SD (see someone sign “cat”): R (sign “dog”) SD (see “red, white, and”): R (say “blue”) SD (hear “five”): R (write “ 5”) SD (hear “where do you live? ”): R (say “Kalamazoo”) no ptp no ptp (same examples, no ptp, formal similarity doesn’t matter) 47

SO 24: Textuals (then Transcriptions) �Plain English: Reading* written words out loud �Technically, The antecedent event that controls a textual is a visual (or tactile - braille) verbal SD that has point-topoint correspondence but not formal similarity The response product is auditory The type of reinforcement is GSr (I am going to give you examples to classify on exam, and I will have textuals and transcriptions, but I am not going to require you to identify them as such, bonus pts. “V”; do have to recognize that they are not examples of mands, tacts, echoics, and intraverbals; * textuals – not reading because reading implies “understanding” and Skinner did not want that implication) 48

SO 24: Textuals (then Transcriptions) Examples SD (see “car”): R (say “car”) GSr (“yes!”) SD (see “mand”): R (say “mand”) GSr (“OK!”) SD (see “up”): R (say “up”) GSr (“Yep”) SD (see “cat”): R (say “cat”) GSr (“good!”) ptp: visual/auditory Reminder: � SD is a written verbal stimulus � Response product has point-to-point correspondence with SD � Response product does not have formal similarity with the SD � Reinforcement is GSr 49

SO 24: Transcriptions �Plain English: Writing, typing, and finger spelling words you hear (taking dictation) �Technically, The antecedent event that controls a transcription is an auditory verbal SD that has point-to-point correspondence but not formal similarity The response product is visual: (written, typed, or spelled) ▪ Basically, a visual stimulus that is not signing: signing cannot have point-to-point correspondence with an auditory SD The type of reinforcement is a GSr (Skinner: Taking dictation, Mark changed name to better include finger spelling) 50

SO 24: Transcriptions Examples SD (hear “car”): R (write “car”) GSr (“good!”) SD (hear “WMU”): R (finger spell “WMU”) GSr (“yeah, man, go Broncos!”) SD (hear“Jake”) : R (write “Jake”) GSr (“yep, that’s Jake”) SD (hear “library”): R (text “library”) GSr (message/noise that text has been sent) Reminder: • SD: auditory verbal stimulus • Response product has point-to-point correspondence with SD • Response product does not have formal similarity with SD • Response product is visual (written, typed, or finger spelled) • Reinforcement is GSr (Skinner: Taking dictation, Mark changed name to better include finger spelling) 51

SO 24: Transcriptions Examples SD (hear “car”): R (write “car”) ptp: auditory/visual SD (hear “WMU”): R (finger spell “WMU”) ptp: auditory/visual SD (hear“Jake”): R (write “Jake”) SD (hear “library”): R (text “library”) ptp: auditory/visual (ptp, auditory/visual (but not signing) 52

Elementary Verbal Operants (Relations) Form of R controlled by SD MO mand verbal SD ptp nonverbal SD tact no ptp intraverbal formal similarity echoic no formal similarity textual (visual/auditory) transcription (auditory/visual) 53

SO 25: Textuals, wrong answers in text! �In Table 25. 3, the classification exercise in the chapter, the textuals are misclassified! �Incorrect examples 7. Write “book” as a result of hearing “book” 26. Finger spell “run” as a result of hearing “run” �These are both transcriptions, not textuals ptp: auditory/visual 54

SO 25: A few examples from the chapter, questions over these or others? A TENDENCY TO Say “airplane” Say “I’m fine” Say “cookies” Step on the brakes Say “red” Write “book” Sign “apple” Say “mesa” SOLELY AS A RESULT OF Hearing an airplane Hearing “How are you? ” Smelling cookies baking* Seeing “stop” written on sign Hearing “color”* Hearing “book”* Seeing “apple” written Hearing “table” (*Why T/M as answer in book? ; why M? ; why IV/T as answer in book? ; TS, not TX; all signs except T and E, must be IV ) 55

SO 25: Some of the examples from the study objectives*: M, T, E, IV, V (TX or TR), NV A TENDENCY TO Write “wet” Sign “tree” Say “WMU” Turn up heat Write “large” Say “cat” Write “book” Say “loud” Sign “ 4” SOLELY AS A RESULT OF Hearing “ocean” Seeing a tree Seeing “WMU” Wanting it to be warmer Hearing “large” Seeing someone sign “cat” Wanting a book Hearing someone yell “GO BRONCOS” Hearing “four” 56

SO 26: Back to the listener � Previously…. The listener mediates the reinforcement for the speaker � And also (new, 28 A) The listener becomes an SD for the speaker’s behavior* Non-technically, the listener is an audience for verbal behavior *Note carefully that the listener does not become a reinforcer for the speaker – which is a common incorrect answer when I ask this question (actually the listener could become a reinforcer for the listener but that is not the point of this analysis, so I will consider this answer incorrect) (Skinner quote next slide along with diagram, 28 B) 57

SO 26 B: The diagram and explanation � Skinner: “An audience, then, is a discriminative stimulus in the presence of which verbal behavior is characteristically reinforced and in the presence of which, therefore, it is characteristically strong. ” * SD: S∆: No (audience) R (speaker) verbal response GSr or SR/Sr reinforcement provided by R (speaker) verbal response EXT No reinforcement *And in the absence of which verbal behavior is not reinforced, emphasis on Sr, Ext) 58

SO 26: The listener, a qualification � The audience is an SD in the presence of which a verbal response is characteristically strong, but the audience does not control the type of the verbal response (verbal operant) � The antecedent MO, nonverbal stimulus, or verbal stimulus that is also present controls the type of the verbal response Example MO: (food dep): SD (friend): R (will you share your potato chips with me? ) SR (food) SD: (sight of Dr. D): SD (friend): R (hey, there’s Dr. D!) Sr (“glad you warned me, man!”) (whether you emit a mand, tact, intraverbal, etc. , 59

La. Marre & Holland (1985) JEAB The functional independence of mands and tacts 60

La. Marre & Holland intro � This study demonstrates that the elementary verbal operants are functionally independent, that is: Controlled by different variables (MO, verbal SD, nonverbal SD) Just because a person can say “milk” as a mand does not mean that the person can say “milk” as a tact ▪ A word is not a word � Common belief both in both linguistics and lay community is that we learn the “meaning” of a word and then can use it in all different situations (as we get older and become fluent speakers, this changes, and we can/do generalize across the verbal operants; the fact that children can’t means that we should be teaching verbal behavior to those who have trouble developing it very differently than has often been done in the past; stroke victims/brain injured/alzhiemers tend to loose Ts before other elementary operants – can mand easily, but not emit tacts) 61

SO 29: La. Marre & Holland summary � Participants: 9 children, 3 ½ - 5 years old � Verbal responses: “on the right” and “on the left” � 4 participants 1. Trained “on the right” and “on the left” as mands 2. Tested to see whether the kids could then tact “on the right” and “on the left” 3. Trained to tact “on the right” and “on the left” 4. Reversed mand training: Retrained the kids to say ▪ “on the right” when they wanted an object placed on the left and ▪ “on the left” when they wanted an object placed on the right 5. Tested to see if the tacts “on the right” and “on the left” reversed as well (typically developing kids, couldn’t use colors, animals, etc. , verbal response the kids couldn’t emit as a mand or tact) 62

SO 29: La. Marre & Holland summary � 5 participants as control received tact training first 1. Trained “on the right” and “on the left” as tacts 2. Tested to see whether the kids could then mand “on the right” and “on the left” 3. Trained to mand “on the right” and “on the left” 4. Reversed tact training: Retrained the kids to say ▪ “on the right” when the object was on the left and ▪ “on the left” when the object was on the right 5. Tested to see if the mands “on the right” and “on the left” reversed as well 63

SO 35: Results for mands and tacts �For all nine participants, mands and tacts were shown to be functionally independent. That is, Children who were first trained to mand “on the right” and “on the left” were not able to tact “on the right” and “on the left” and Children who were first trained to tact “on the right” and “on the left” were not able to mand “on the right” and “on the left” 64

SO 36: Results, reversed mand tact training �For six of the nine participants reversing one verbal operant did not reverse the other. That is, Children who were retrained to say “on the right” when they wanted the object on the left and “on the left” when they wanted the object on the right as mands continued to tact “on the right” when the object was, indeed, on the right and “on the left” when the object was, indeed, on the left Children who were retrained to say ▪ “on the right” when the object was actually on the left and “on the left” when the object was actually on the right as tacts ▪ continued to say “on the right” when they wanted the object on the right and “on the left” when they wanted the object on the left as mands 65

NFE: Methodogical quirk, L & M � The tacts and mands in this study were not “pure” tacts and mands � When training and testing tacts, the Es placed objects on the right or on the left and asked: Where is the [dog, flower, car]? Because of that, the tact was really a part tact, part IV � When training and testing mands, the Es asked Where do you want me to put the [dog, flower, car]? Again, because of the question, the mand was really part mand, part IV (last slide on this – next slide, Loftus) 66

Elizabeth F. Loftus (2003), American Psychologist Make-Believe Memories 67

Loftus intro � Nothing from this article will be on the exam � The article demonstrates how easily our memories become “make-believe” � Below are some of the general results of her work Eyewitness testimony – it is very easy to influence what a person “remembers” after seeing a crime or an accident Planting false memories – it is also easy to create a memory for an event that never happened; even very implausible events like witnessing the demonic possession of a child can be “planted” Rich false memories – individuals create details and embellish events that never happened; that is they don’t just repeat or “remember” the false memory that was planted People act on those false memories - people believe them and even change their nonverbal behavior to be consistent with the false memory (I included it because it is fascinating work you should know about and is highly relevant to our analysis of verbal behavior, although Loftus does not talk about it that way; last point – they have already altered their verbal behavior) 68

Loftus intro �Implications are far reaching False convictions based on (or at least partially on) eyewitness testimony False indictments of individuals for sexual or physical abuse based on “recovered memories” of victims False indictments of individuals for sexual and physical abuse done during satanic rituals Less dramatic, but nonetheless, ▪ Changes in the way we behave toward certain people based on our false memories of being insulted by them or something we falsely remember them doing that we found offensive 69

Loftus intro (actually also SO 44) � Loftus: Two things can affect memory Simple suggestion Plying the person with false feedback � More behaviorally: Altering the form of the verbal SDs that control/evoke our intraverbal and echoic responses Reinforcing the intraverbal/echoic responses that are emitted by the speaker, and shaping them through subtle forms of reinforcement ▪ ▪ “Good, you remember that. ” “I know that must have been traumatic for you. Tell me more about it” A simple nod, eye contact, or smile Note all of the above are forms of GSrs 70

Examples from Loftus’ work �Showed people videos of traffic accidents and then altered the questions she asked them The verbal SD of “Did you see the broken headlight” led to more false reports of a broken headlight than did the verbal SD of “Was there a broken headlight? ” The verbal SD of “How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other” led to higher estimates of speed than did “How fast were the cars going when they hit each other? ” (it’s pretty easy to analyze, under ordinary circumstances, in a regular conversation, people don’t ask us if we saw the something if that something never happened-and In fact may provide mild punishment if we say no – what do you mean you didn’t see it? ? second question is much more “neutral. ”) 71

More examples, the lost in the mall technique or planting false memories � College students were given descriptions of events that had happened when they were young (put together by family members) � One event, being lost in a mall, was false � 25% of the participants came to believe they had indeed become lost in a mall for an extended period of time, were highly upset, and were ultimately rescued and returned to their family by an elderly individual � Many added embellishing details 72

One more example �Adults were led to believe that they had personally met Bugs Bunny at Disneyland 62% of those who believed this personal encounter said they shook his hand 46% remembered hugging him Others remembered touching his ear or tail, or hearing him say “What’s up Doc? ” What is wrong with this? Why isn’t this even possible? (led to believe Bugs had touched them inappropriately) 73

One more example Bugs Bunny is a Warner Brothers cartoon character and---“the wascally Warner Bros. Wabbit would be awwested on sight” at Disney (Malcolm, 2003, Los Angeles Times) 74

To end �Much of what we refer to as memory is verbal behavior (some is visual memory) �Our verbal behavior can be easily influenced by The verbal SDs that evoke and control our intraverbals Reinforcement provided by the listener for what we say � � Be careful – some of your memories may be false And remember the memories of others may be false, But in both cases they may be “honest lies” (notice that we believe them to be true – we are not lying, they are, rather “honest” lies”) 75

THE END Instructional assistance hours M 3/14, 7: 00 – 8: 30 pm Gabi is “up” 76