Concept Definition: Verbal Behavior

Important characteristics of Skinner's (1957) definition of verbal behavior:

  • Anything a person says or does.
  • It is established and maintained through reinforcement.
  • Reinforcement is mediated by a listener.

Illustrative Example/Nonexample Pair #1

(The response to be analyzed is in bold text.)

Nonexample

Wanda is sitting at the dinner table. After eating a hot chili pepper, she craves some water to drink. Wanda quickly pours herself a glass of water from the pitcher on the table. Drinking it quenches her thirst. As a result, she is more likely to pour herself a glass of water under similar conditions in the future.

Example

Wanda is sitting at the dinner table. After eating a hot chili pepper, she craves some water to drink. Her husband happens to be standing beside the refrigerator where the water pitcher is kept. Wanda says "Bill, will you get me a glass of water?" Her husband complies and she thanks him. Drinking the water quenches her thirst. As a result, she is more likely to make the same request to her husband under similar conditions in the future.

Analysis

The first item is not an example of verbal behavior. It is true that Wanda did something (poured a glass of water) and that her behavior produced a reinforcing consequence (a glass of water). However, the reinforcing consequence was not mediated by a listener. In other words, obtaining a glass of water did not depend on the intervening action of another person.

The second item is an example of verbal behavior. The speaker is Wanda. She did something (said "Bill, will you get me a glass of water?") and her behavior produced a reinforcing consequence (a glass of water). We classify her behavior as verbal because its reinforcing consequence was mediated by a listener. In other words, obtaining a glass of water depended on the intervening action of another person (Bill).

Illustrative Example/Nonexample Pair #2

(The response to be analyzed is in bold text.)

Nonexample

Frank is playing soccer. As he runs to the ball, Mike sticks out his leg and trips him. Frank falls, scrapes his knee, and begins crying.

Example

Frank is playing soccer. He runs to the ball, kicks it, but misses the net. He begins crying and his coach takes him out of the game and comforts him. As a result, Frank is more likely to cry under similar conditions in the future.

Analysis

The first item is not an example of verbal behavior. It is true that Frank did something (cried), but reinforcement was not involved. Instead, his behavior was likely part of a reflex; that is, it was triggered by an eliciting stimulus (the pain from scraping his knee). To learn more about reflexes and Pavlovian Conditioning, click here.

The second item is an example of verbal behavior. The speaker is Frank. He did something (cried) and his behavior produced a reinforcing consequence (being taken out of the game and comforted). We classify his behavior as verbal - even though words are not involved - because its reinforcing consequence was mediated by a listener. In other words, being taken out of the game and comforted depended on the intervening actions of another person (Frank's coach).