Verbal Behavior
Also called: VB, Skinner's analysis of language
Definition
Skinner's analysis of language as behavior: responses that are reinforced through the action of another person who has been trained to respond to them. It classifies utterances by their controlling variables — what evokes them and what consequence maintains them — rather than by their form, so the same word can be a different verbal operant on different occasions. Speech, sign, pictures and typing all count.
In plain language
A way of looking at language as behavior. Words are sorted by what causes them and what they get, not by what they sound like. Signs and pictures count too.
Example
A learner says "juice" once to get juice and once to name a picture. Same word, two different verbal operants.
Not verbal behavior
Sorting a learner's words into nouns and verbs. That classifies by form, which is not the verbal-behavior approach.
See also
Written from
- skinner-1957
- sundberg-michael-2001
Written from Skinner (1957) and Sundberg and Michael (2001). No textbook glossary consulted.
This entry has not yet been through clinical review. Treat it as a draft.