A Comparative Analysis
Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior emphasizes the function of
language, arguing that the meaning of language comes from the
immediate and historical environmental contingencies that evoke and
consequate speaker and listener behavior. Skinner defined verbal
behavior as behavior reinforced through the mediation of another
person, who in turn is conditioned to reinforce the behavior of the
speaker.
For this assignment you will:
Find two short videos on the internet of very young children. The first
video should be of a preverbal child (8 to12 months) and the second
should be of a child that is slightly older and is talking (13 to18
months). After watching the videos, do the following:
A. For the older verbal child, identify elementary verbal operants
that are captured in the video. Note the context of the operant
(antecedent and consequence).
i. How many different elementary verbal operants were observed in
the video? (note the length of the video)
ii. What was the most frequently observed operant?
B. Repeat this for the child who is preverbal. Is the child engaging in
behaviors (e.g., gestures, repeating actions to get a response) that
are serving the function of an elementary verbal operant?
i. How many different functions of elementary verbal operants
were observed in the video? (note the length of the video)
ii. What was the most frequently observed function?
