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Before yesterdayLatest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior

Understanding Echoics: Identifying Predictive Indicators of Vocal Imitation

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
10 December 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

A growing body of literature supports the use of echoic prompts toward conditioning other functional language skills. However, many individuals with autism spectrum disorder do not emit echoic behavior. Identifying the prerequisite skills of an echoic repertoire may be beneficial for intervention planning and clinical decision making. A chart review was conducted for 118 patients with autism who received early intensive behavioral intervention. We examined the Level 1 scores on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (Sundberg, 2014) for all patients. Using their scores on the echoic skills subtest as a dependent variable, we ran a binomial logistic regression in which the remaining eight domains, along with age and sex, served as independent variables. Our logistic regression model was statistically significant: X2(10) = 109.61, p < .001. The model explained 86.0% of the variance in echoic verbal behavior and correctly classified 95.8% of cases. Patients who demonstrated a mand repertoire were greater than 3.5 times more likely to also exhibit an echoic repertoire. Additionally, vocal play and motor imitation were associated with an increased ability to echo. Using binomial logistic regression, we identified three predictors influencing the echoic behavior of children with autism. Patients who demonstrated these three skills were statistically significantly more likely to echo the vocal verbal behavior of others. Additional research is now needed to confirm a functional relationship between each of these predictors and echoic control.

A Review of the Environmental Variables Included in Mand Training Interventions

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
6 December 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Deficits in communicating one’s wants and needs can have significant and detrimental effects on quality of life. Particularly for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other related disabilities, manding is a pivotal skill that influences long-term prognosis. Mand training is complex and relies on several components to facilitate acquisition. Various approaches have been developed to target this pivotal repertoire; however, it is unknown if there are common elements, or “critical components,” among interventions. Identifying these components may support the design of mand training interventions for young children that are efficient and effective. In this systematic review, we synthesized the characteristics of 118 participants included in 45 single-case studies teaching preschool-aged children to mand. Findings indicated that most studies conduct preference assessments to inform target selection, manipulate motivating operations, and deliver specific reinforcement following the emission of the mand. This review reveals a gap in observing behavioral indication, teaching under both establishing operation (EO) and abolishing operation (AO) conditions, and failure to observe interactions with the consequent stimulus. Overall, the results suggest differences in the variables included in mand training interventions and those critical to acquisition of a functional mand repertoire cannot be determined. We discuss implications and directions for future research.

A Preliminary Investigation into Teaching Adolescents with Autism to Use Apps to Solve Problems

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
4 December 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Technology offers exciting possibilities for instruction with learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but limited research has evaluated the use of web-based applications (apps) as learning tools for this population. We wondered if using apps would function as a precurrent response to solve problems in the form of questions on a worksheet. Participants were two adolescents with ASD, Phoebe and Gavin. We taught them to use map, weather, and clock apps to answer questions about distance, temperature, and time on a worksheet (e.g., “What time is it in Cairo?”). The cities varied to ensure the answers were always unknown. Training occurred for one app at a time in the manner of a multiple baseline design across behaviors. Training steps were progressively introduced to evaluate the components necessary for app use. Gavin progressed quickly through training with the first app and then demonstrated generalization across novel questions (i.e., with different cities), apps, and response modalities (i.e., answering vocally). Phoebe required more intensive training than Gavin, and eventually demonstrated generalization across novel questions. We discuss the implications of expanding technology-based problem-solving skills by applying Skinner’s (1957; 1984) analysis.

Teaching Nonarbitrary Temporal Relational Responding in Adolescents with Autism

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
11 November 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

According to relational frame theory (RFT), temporal relational responding is key to important repertoires, including sequencing, ordering, planning, and time understanding. Previous studies have taught several other varieties of relational responding (e.g., comparison, deictics) but relatively little work has been done in the case of temporal relational responding. The present study aimed to assess existing temporal relational responding skills in three autistic adolescents and to evaluate the efficacy of an RFT-based multiple exemplar training (MET) procedure to teach nonarbitrary (physically based) temporal relations, which constitute an important foundation for derived temporal relations. Results indicated that all participants achieved mastery (100% across two sessions) for nonarbitrary temporal relations following MET. During post-training phases, each of the participants maintained performance 2 and 4 weeks later, and the skill was extended to two novel data sets (100% accuracy).

Relations between Verbal Self-Stimulation, Stimulus Modality, and Accuracy in an Operant Task

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
12 February 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

From an operant perspective, verbal behavior is multiply controlled by different sources of stimulation, including self-stimulation. Self-stimulation (i.e., responding with respect to one’s own response products) is thought to be especially important for verbal mediation that temporally extends discriminative stimulus control. While previous research has examined the effects of self-stimulation across multiple dimensions of verbal responding, stimulus control of patterns of self-stimulation in conjunction with other patterns of discriminative stimuli of different modalities have arguably received less attention. The purpose of this study was to examine relations between patterns of self-stimulation and different types of verbal discriminative stimulation (i.e., visual and auditory) through differences in their contribution to verbal response accuracy in a recall task. Using a novel online task, participants completed a series of trials in which they (1) typed a 7-digit sequence of digits presented to them either visually or auditorily in which response products were (a) unmasked (typing different keys produced different characters) or (b) masked (typing different keys produced the same character) in the initial response phase, (2) engaged in an intervening activity in the distractor phase, and (3) retyped the same sequence of digits during the recall phase that was initially presented during the initial response phase. While no significant differences in accuracy of digits submitted during recall phases were observed with respect to visual and auditory verbal discriminative stimuli, the average total number of correct digits typed during recall phases was found to be higher when response products were unmasked in the initial response phase than when they were masked.

Verbal Mediation During Auditory Equivalence Class Formation Using Go/No-Go Successive Matching-to-Sample

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
30 September 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Successive matching-to-sample (S-MTS) with a go/no-go response requirement has previously produced equivalence classes with nonverbal auditory stimuli among college students. When participants are required to talk aloud during posttests (protocol analysis), their verbal behavior tends to match their selection performance. However, in some cases, the protocol analysis seems to interfere with posttests, in that equivalence yields are lower when participants are required to talk aloud. Thus, the current study replicated and extended previous research by requiring participants to complete emergence posttests before introducing training for the protocol analysis. Subsequently, participants completed one additional block of the transitivity/equivalence posttest with the talk-aloud requirement. Additionally, participants completed tact and intraverbal tests following emergence posttests to further assess possible verbal-mediation strategies. The results showed that six of eight college students formed equivalence classes, suggesting that previous failures could have been influenced by the talk-aloud requirement. Further, there was a positive correlation between verbal and nonverbal (selection) responses suggesting the possibility that verbal mediation may have contributed to equivalence-class formation.

Functional Analysis and Treatment of Repetitive Verbal Behavior in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
21 August 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Repetitive verbal behavior presents a unique challenge to researchers and clinicians as the topography of the behavior often appears to be a mand for information or tangibles; however, the repetitive nature of the behavior indicates otherwise. The purpose of the current study was to (a) extend the application of functional analysis (FA) methodology to identify the functionally related variables of the repetitive verbal behavior (requests for information and/or requests for tangibles) of three children with autism spectrum disorder and (b) verify results of the FA during a function-based intervention evaluation. Results of the FA showed that the repetitive verbal behavior of the three participants was maintained by access to adult attention instead of access to information or tangibles. Using this information, we taught the participants to mand for attention during functional communication training. Results of the functional communication training demonstrated a reduction in the repetitive verbal behavior and an increase in mands for attention.

The Effects of Reinforcing Tacting on the Recall of Children with Autism

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
27 June 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Attending to and tacting stimuli in a situation may facilitate recall of that situation. To evaluate this, we showed varied slide decks of 25 black-and-white stick figures engaged in actions to four adolescents and one child with autism. Ten minutes later, we asked them to name the pictures they remembered. Using a multielement design, we compared three conditions in the picture viewing context wherein we (a) instructed the participant to view the pictures quietly, (b) prompted and reinforced tacts of the pictures, or (c) required the participant to repeat a series of letters and numbers (i.e., a blocking procedure). For four of the participants, recall was highest in the condition in which we prompted and reinforced tacts of the pictures. These data provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that prompting and reinforcing tacting stimuli enhances recall with respect to those stimuli, though several limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

The Use of Multiple Exemplar Instruction to Induce Emergent Listener Discriminations and Emergent Intraverbal Vocal Responses in Autistic Children

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 June 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

This study tested for the emergence of listener discriminations and intraverbal vocal responses following tact training with four autistic children. All participants were trained to tact the name and the favorite food of two contrived cartoon monsters in the presence of a picture of the monster (e.g., “What is the name of this monster?” – “Max” and “What food does the monster eat?” – “Sweets”) to evaluate the effects of emergent listener discriminations and emergent intraverbal vocal responses. Once criterion was met on the tact training, participants were tested for emergent listener discriminations (e.g., “Who eats sweets?” And “Who is Max?”) and emergent intraverbal vocal responses (e.g., “What food does Max eat?” – “Sweets” and “Who eats sweets?” – “Max” in the absence of the picture). After training, all four participants engaged in emergent listener responding but only one participant engaged in emergent intraverbal responding. Multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) was used to teach those who could not engage in emergent intraverbal responding, and it was demonstrated to be effective. These findings are educationally significant because efficiency of instruction is important to maximize instructional impact, and to reduce the time and resource-intensive nature of behavior-analytic programming.

The Use of a Behavior Chain Interruption Strategy to Teach Mands for Help with an Adult with Intellectual Disability and Deaf-Blindness

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 June 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Individuals with deaf-blindness and co-occurring diagnoses, such as intellectual and developmental disabilities, may experience difficulty with independence, specifically with communication. One behavior-analytic procedure that may be useful for increasing independence and teaching communication to this population is the behavior-chain interruption strategy (BCIS). The current study examined the use of the BCIS to teach a 65-year-old deaf-blind participant with severe intellectual disability to use a SadoTech Elderly Monitoring Pager to notify others in the environment when help was needed. The researcher alternated between establishing operation (EO; help needed, items missing, or inoperable) and abolishing operation (AO; help not needed, items present, and operable) trials for three previously mastered daily living routines. The results demonstrated that following intervention, the participant used the device independently during EO trials and never used it during AO trials across behavior chains, and similar results were obtained during a treatment-extension phase. Limitations and implications for applied practice are discussed.

Procedural Fidelity Reporting in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior from 2007–2021

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 June 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Procedural fidelity refers to the degree to which procedures for an assessment or intervention (i.e., independent variables) are implemented consistent with the prescribed protocols. Procedural fidelity is an important factor in demonstrating the internal validity of an experiment and clinical treatments. Previous reviews evaluating the inclusion of procedural fidelity in published empirical articles demonstrated underreporting of procedural fidelity procedures and measures within specific journals. We conducted a systematic review of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB) to evaluate the trends in procedural fidelity reporting from 2007 to 2021. Of the 253 articles published in TAVB during the reporting period, 144 of the articles (168 studies) met inclusionary criteria for further analysis. Our results showed that 54% of studies reported procedural fidelity data, which is slightly higher than previous reviews. In comparison, interobserver-agreement data were reported for a high percentage of studies reviewed (i.e., 93%). Further discussion of results and applied research implications are included.

Correspondence Between Vocal-Verbal Behavior and Go/No-Go Responses During the Successive Matching-to-Sample Procedure

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 June 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

In the current study, eight college students were exposed to a successive matching-to-sample (S-MTS) procedure utilizing non-verbal auditory stimuli consisting of common sounds. During emergent relations tests, participants were asked to talk aloud, and their vocal-verbal statements were transcribed and categorized as class-consistent, class-inconsistent, or irrelevant. All participants met emergence criterion for symmetry and four did so for transitivity/equivalence. Analysis of vocal-verbal statements showed a positive correlation between class-consistent statements emitted by participants and correct selection responses during S-MTS tasks. Such results suggest possible verbal mediation during emergent relations tests.

The Analysis of Whose Verbal Behavior?

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 June 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Recent reviews of behavior analytic journals suggest that participant demographics are inadequately described. These reviews have been limited to brief periods across several journals, emphasized specific variables (e.g., socioeconomic status), or only included specific populations. The current scoping review included all published articles in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior from 1982–2020. Six demographic variables were coded for 1888 participants across 226 articles. Despite small sample sizes (i.e., fewer than six participants in 62.3% of studies), only age (85.4%) and gender identity (71.6%) were reported for the majority of participants. Socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and primary language were reported for fewer than 20% of participants. Over time, the number of demographic variables reported showed a slight increasing trend, although considerable variability was observed across years. These findings suggest that editors and reviewers must consider what constitutes acceptable participant characterization. Researchers might also be emboldened to extend their work to populations currently underrepresented in the journal.

Teaching an Infant to Request Help

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 June 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Teaching an infant manual signs is beneficial as it promotes early communication, improves socialization, and can functionally replace behaviors such as crying and whining. Improving early communication also may reduce the probability of an infant engaging in dangerous behavior, like unsafe climbing. The purpose of this study was to extend Thompson et al. (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 40:15–23, 2007) by teaching an 8-month-old infant, who was noted to display developmental delays, to sign for “help” when preferred items were inaccessible. Similar to Thompson et al., delayed prompting and differential reinforcement was efficacious in teaching the infant to sign for “help,” and the skill generalized to situations that were previously associated with unsafe climbing. However, undesirable generalization of signs for “help” when the infant could independently access the items was observed. Additional teaching was necessary to ensure signing for “help” occurred under appropriate antecedent control.

Effects of Serial Multiple Exemplar Training on Bidirectional Naming in Children with Autism

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 June 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

This study examined the effect of a serial multiple exemplar training (S-MET) procedure on bidirectional naming (BiN) in four preschool children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A non-concurrent multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effects of training listener and speaker behavior for one stimulus at a time until BiN occurred. When BiN occurred, probes were conducted to measure whether generalization occurred across settings and people. Three out of four participants’ responding met the mastery criterion for BiN, while the fourth participant improved her performance. The results of this study suggest that S-MET may be a promising intervention and contribute to our knowledge about learning histories required for BiN.

Toward a Procedure to Study Rule-Governed Choice: Preliminary Data

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
28 May 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

The aim of this study was to model a situation that induced choice between following two incompatible rules, each associated with a different rate of reinforcement. In Experiment 1, eight undergraduate students were exposed to a two-component multiple schedule (training). In each component, there was a concurrent variable interval (VI)–extinction (EXT) schedule. Participants were given two rules that instructed them to respond to the VI alternative in the presence of different discriminative stimuli. The side of the VI schedule changed in each component and offered a different reinforcer rate according to the discriminative stimuli in the operation. When both discriminative stimuli were concurrently presented (test), participants favored the alternative previously instructed by the rule, which was associated with the greatest reinforcer rate, whereas indifference was observed in the absence of discriminative stimuli. Experiment 2 tested the effects of reinforcement rate using the same procedure without providing rules. During training, participants gradually developed a preference for the VI alternatives. In the choice test phase, participants favored the alternative associated with the stimuli with the highest reinforcer rate when both discriminative stimuli were present. Unsystematic preference was observed in the absence of discriminative stimuli. Two alternative explanations were provided for the findings.

Delayed Consequences in General Education through the Lenses of Delay Discounting and Verbal Behavior

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
12 February 2024 at 00:00

Abstract

Delayed consequences have important academic implications for younger children. Conceptualized within behavior analysis as delay discounting, researchers have examined verbal behavior interventions to improve tolerance to delayed outcomes. In this preliminary study, the correlation between verbal repertoires and tolerance to delayed consequences was further examined. Specifically, the relationship among incidental bidirectional naming (Inc-BiN), delay discounting, and academic achievement in a second-grade general education classroom was studied. Measures included delay discounting measures derived from a hypothetical binary choice task, accurate responses to the Inc-BiN probes using object–name relations as a verbal behavior measure, and standardized assessment percentile for academic achievement measure. The results showed a significant positive correlation between delay discounting measures and the accuracy of Inc-BiN responses. There was no significant correlation between academic achievement and either delay discounting or Inc-BiN. Implications and future research on bridging the concepts of verbal behavior and delay discounting in explaining delayed consequences are discussed.

Revisiting Topography-Based and Selection-Based Verbal Behavior

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 December 2023 at 00:00

Abstract

In topography-based verbal behavior, different antecedent stimuli control different topographies of responding, whereas in selection-based verbal behavior, different antecedent stimuli control the selection of visually distinct stimuli from an array of options. In this article, we point out three variable characteristics of selection-based behavior, highlighted by recent technological developments, that affect its similarity to topography-based behavior: The extent to which stimuli can be constructed from minimal units, the size and composition of the selection array, and the similarity of response-produced stimuli to verbal stimuli that are prevalent in the speaker’s verbal community. Although a distinction between topography-based and selection-based behavior has merit, particular characteristics of a selection-based verbal behavior modality may often be more relevant for researchers and clinicians to consider than its status as selection-based.

The Effects of Vocal Blocking on Sequencing Visual and Tactile Stimuli

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 December 2023 at 00:00

Abstract

The inclusion of private events in the philosophy of our science is integral to avoid dualism and remain objective rather than making assumptions about an unseen mind. However, the inclusion of behaviors and stimuli which cannot be observed in an analysis poses obvious issues. One established method of studying covert behavior is to examine tasks that are presumed to require verbal mediation, and observing how a participant’s performance is affected when they are required to speak out loud during the task (often called “blocking”), again presuming this will make it difficult or impossible to simultaneously talk to yourself covertly. This study investigated the effects of vocal blocking on a sequencing task, or lining things up in a specified order. In one experiment, the items sequenced were abstract line drawings, and a second experiment used differently textured fabric stimuli (or “tactile cards”). In the second experiment, participants learned to tact and then sequence the tactile stimuli while they were blindfolded. The effect of vocal blocking on putative covert rehearsal was dissimilar across the two modalities of the experiments. This preliminary study provides insight into the nature of covert behavior as it relates to different senses and opens questions about the generality of studies examining covert mediation.

A Treatment Evaluation of Successive and Simultaneous Visual Stimulus Presentation During Tact Training with Children with Autism

✇Latest Results for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1 December 2023 at 00:00

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess whether variations in visual stimulus presentation during tact training would affect efficacy, efficiency, and the emergence of listener responses. Participants included two preschool-aged children diagnosed with autism. We implemented two teaching conditions using an adapted alternating treatment design with intrasubject replications. During successive tact training, the experimenter presented one picture per trial. During simultaneous training, the experimenter pointed to the target picture in a stimulus array. For one participant, both procedures were similarly effective and efficient. For another participant, successive tact training generated fewer errors and better efficiency results. Moreover, both formats resulted in accurate listener responding. Our results suggest that both procedures are effective, and that the simultaneous format may be a viable alternative for teaching tacts.

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