Analysis Of Verbal Behavior Research Articles

Implementing an applied verbal behavior model in classrooms

AbstractApplied verbal behavior (AVB) is an intervention approach grounded in Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior. Common components of the AVB approach have been established as evidence‐based, indicating the approach should be progressed into the manualization and implementation phase of research. In the present study, we used an intervention package consisting of computer‐based training, performance and competency‐based training, and in vivo training to promote the use of AVB procedures in 26 classrooms in a nonpublic school serving students with autism. We evaluated the effects of this intervention package on the performance of teacher level staff via a controlled consecutive case series design, nonconcurrent multiple probe design, and aggregate data analysis using inferential statistics. Results showed that staff members demonstrated high levels of fidelity with AVB procedures when working directly with students. Measures of student behavior showed significantly increased engagement with staff members, reduced interfering behavior, and increased rates of manding. These findings have implications for the dissemination of AVB in educational settings.

Standing on the Shoulders of a Giant: Remembrances of Jack Michael, Part 1.

In 1959, Jack Michael and his PhD student Ted Ayllon published "The Psychiatric Nurse as a Behavioral Engineer" (Ayllon & Michael, 1959). That study was Ayllon's doctoral dissertation and was the first empirical demonstration of how the principles of behavior (e.g., reinforcement, extinction, satiation) could be applied to solve clinical problems. That research was the beginning of what would soon be called "behavior modification," and later, "applied behavior analysis." Jack's foundational contributions to behavior analysis continued for 5 decades. In recognition of his life's work, his former students and close associates John Mabry, Grayson Osborne, Jon Bailey, Mark Sundberg, and J. Vincent Carbone offer tributes to Jack. These tributes tell the story of Jack's early teaching career, his students, his work, and how he inspired others to become behavior analysts. Six more tributes will appear in the fall issue of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and will provide insight into Jack's work and other activities in the later part of his career. Those tributes will be from Jack's former students and close associates Hank Schlinger, Dave Palmer, Carl Sundberg, John and Barb Esch, Anna Petursdottir, and Caio Miguel.

УМОВИ УСПІШНОСТІ МОВЛЕННЄВОГО ЖАНРУ ВИБАЧЕННЯ

The article investigates the linguo-pragmatic conditions of the speech genre of apology in modern German. The purpose of the research is a comprehensive analysis of the examined speech genre. The main task is to identify and describe the conditions for the success of apology in German linguistic culture. To achieve a certain goal and solve the tasks, a number of methods have been applied: logical-semantic – to identify formal, semantic and functional parameters of apology; descriptive method – to characterize the typical linguistic means of apology; comparative analysis – to compare apologies with related speech acts; pragma-semantic method – to identify communicative strategies and tactics of apology; transactional method – for the analysis of verbal and nonverbal behavior of participants of communication; intent-analysis – to identify an indirect apology; method of quantitative calculations – for the implementation of quantitative characteristics of the use of apologies in German; questionnaire method – to confirm ethno-specific signs of forgiveness in German linguistic culture. Since in the proposed study the speech genre (hereinafter SG) is considered a set of SA with a common illocutionary goal to apologize to the interlocutor for the negative act committed by the speaker, the basis for success of the SG of apology constitutes the parameters of successful implementation of SA of apology. However, we consider it expedient to pay additional attention to external factors of SG realization, semantics and syntax of linguistic means of expression of the studied SG, as well as the pragmatics of creation and perception of SG by communicators. In view of apology in terms of its success, we believe that the most important thing for its implementation is the condition of sincerity, which is directly related to such components as malefactive action, guilt, pity (repentance), request, positive reaction of the addressee. Having committed a malefactive action, the speaker realizes his guilt, feels sorry for what he did, and asks the interlocutor for apology. A positive reaction of the addressee is also a necessary condition for the success of apology, i.e. the addressee must accept the speaker’s apology, otherwise the SG will fail and the communicative goal (restoration of harmony in the relationship) will not be achieved. The condition of sincerity of the SG of apology may include the following components: 1) the speaker actually believes that he has committed or intends to commit a malefactive action in relation to his interlocutor; 2) the addressee actually admits his guilt; 3) the speaker feels psychological discomfort and sincerely regrets the damage caused; 4) the addressee apologizes to the listener for his misconduct; 5) the addressee accepts the apology of the speaker and forgives his guilt. Based on the results of the analysis, the following conditions for the success of the speech genre of apology are formulated: 1) fulfillment of the condition of sincerity; 2) knowledge of the rules of polite behavior in the relevant cultural environment; 3) the presence of general knowledge about the situation; 4) compliance with the principles of speech cooperation; 5) analysis and planning of one’s behavior and the behavior of the interlocutor. It was found that the success or failure of apology can be assessed by analyzing the perlocutionary effect, and violation of the conditions of success can lead to communicative failure, which manifests itself in a negative reaction of the addressee and hinders cooperative interpersonal communication.

ВПЛИВ КУЛЬТУРНИХ КОНТЕКСТІВ НА ФОРМУВАННЯ АНГЛОМОВНОЇ ПРОФЕСІЙНО ОРІЄНТОВАНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ В ГОВОРІННІ МАЙБУТНІХ ЛІКАРІВ У ПОЛІНАЦІОНАЛЬНИХ ГРУПАХ

Introduction. The article is devoted to the specification and argumentation of the influence of cultural contexts on the formation of English professionally oriented competence in speech of future doctors who study in polynational groups. Analysis of relevant research has revealed that while most scientific publications consider some aspects of intercultural communication in the context of professional activity or features of language training of students in multinational groups, the issues of English professionally oriented competence formation in polynational groups remain unresolved. Aim of the Study. The purpose of the article is to explain the causes of difficulties in the process of performing professionally oriented communicative tasks in English and outline ways to establish pair and group work of students in polynational groups in order to increase their learning productivity. The stated purpose of the study has led to the choice of the following research methods: 1) theoretical analysis of the scientific sources to define the meaning of the concept of “cultural contexts” and establish the features of polynational groups of students; 2) comparative analysis of verbal and nonverbal behaviour of representatives of high-context and low-context cultures; 3) scientific observation of the course of English professionally oriented speech training of students in polynational groups. Results. It has been determined that the reason for frequent misunderstandings among students of polynational groups while performing pair and group tasks on professionally oriented speech is the division of cultures into high-context and low-context ones. Three levels of behaviour that differ among high-context and low-context cultures and therefore cause misunderstandings among students of polynational groups when performing English professionally oriented communicative tasks have been identified. Conclusions. Ways to optimize the formation of English professionally oriented competence in speech of students in polynational groups, taking into account their cultural differences, have been suggested.

Using a Lag Schedule of Reinforcement to Increase Response Variability in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Lag reinforcement schedules have been shown in previous research to be an effective intervention for teaching verbal and nonverbal response variability to individuals with developmental disabilities. In more recent research, variability itself has been considered a reinforceable behavior in its own right (Susa & Schlinger, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 18, 125-130, 2012). Lag x schedules of reinforcement can be used to teach variability by using contingencies that require responses to differ from previous responses. The present study extended Susa and Schlinger's, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 18, 125-130, (2012) research by using 3 social questions instead of 1 in a random rotation and included probes to test for generality. A changing-criterion design was used to evaluate the results with one 11-year-old female participant diagnosed with autism. During baseline, the participant provided little variability, with rote responses. During the Lag 1 and Lag 2 phases, appropriate variable verbal responding increased with the use of echoic prompts, visual aids, and an error correction procedure. Further, the results also showed that the participant learned to vary her responses by demonstrating the ability to emit 11 novel prompted responses and 13 spontaneous responses. In addition, the participant was able to retain the skills learned in a maintenance probe conducted 4 weeks postintervention.

Analysing interactional phenomena in video remote interpreting in collaborative settings: implications for interpreter education

ABSTRACT Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is a modality of interpreting where the interpreter interacts with the other parties-at-talk through an audiovisual link without sharing the same physical interactional space. In dialogue settings, existing research on VRI has mostly drawn on the analysis of verbal behaviour to explore the dynamics of these ‘triadic’ exchanges. However, understanding the complexity of VRI requires a more holistic analysis of its dynamics in different contexts as a situated, embodied activity where resources other than talk (e.g. gaze, gestures, head and body movement) play a central role in the co-construction of the communicative event. This paper draws on extracts from a corpus of VRI encounters in collaborative contexts (e.g. nurse-patient interaction, customer services) to investigate how specific interactional phenomena already explored in traditional settings of dialogue interpreting (e.g. turn management, dyadic sequences, spatial management) unfold in VRI. The paper will identify the coping strategies implemented by interpreters to deal with various challenges. This fine-grained, microanalytical look at the data will complement the findings provided by research on VRI in legal/adversarial contexts and provide solid grounds to evaluate the impact of different moves. Its systematic integration into training will lead to a more holistic approach to VRI education.

Evaluating the Effects of Establishing Eye Contact on the Skill Acquisition of Individuals with Autism

Researchers widely assert that requiring eye contact from students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before instruction is highly important to the outcome of teaching (Greer and Ross in Verbal behavior analysis, Pearson Education, New York, 2008; Lovaas in J Consult Clin Psychol 55(1):3–9, 1977. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006x.55.1.3). However, to our knowledge, no research to date has evaluated the effects of this component of instruction on skill acquisition. In this current study, we evaluated the effect of requiring student eye contact from participants with ASD prior to giving an instruction on the rate of skill acquisition. Using an adapted alternating treatments design, this study compared the skill acquisition of three participants diagnosed with ASD during discrete-trial instruction (DTI) for expressive identification of novel items. Requiring eye contact was manipulated as a treatment integrity error during DTI in high-integrity, low-integrity, and control conditions. The experimenter established eye contact with the participants prior to giving an instruction during 100% of trials in the high-integrity condition, whereas eye contact was only established prior to the instruction in 67% of trials in the low-integrity condition. Results indicate that all three participants acquired expressive labels for items in fewer sessions in the high-integrity condition as compared to the low-integrity condition. Implications for the impact of eye contact on skill acquisition are discussed.

Citation Analysis of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (2008-2018).

Recent articles by the editorial board of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB) include calls for greater integration, collaboration, and inclusion. In so doing, it may be helpful to consider TAVB's current reach. Previously, Petursdottir, Peterson, and Peters (The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 25, 109-121, 2009) described the number of citations of articles published in TAVB from 1983 to 2007. The authors found that the greatest number of references to TAVB were self-citations, followed predominantly by other behavior-analytic outlets, such as the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Here, we replicate and extend the work of Petursdottir et al. (The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 25, 109-121, 2009) by conducting a citation analysis of references included in TAVB publications from 2008 to 2018 and also report citations by these venues to TAVB. This citation analysis allows for a more recent review of those outlets that articles published in TAVB commonly reference and those that cite TAVB. Generally, self-citations predominated, with articles published in TAVB commonly referencing books and chapters. The implications of these practices on the impact of TAVB and suggestions for moving forward are considered.

Systematic Review of Verbal Operants in Speech Generating Device Research from Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior.

Skinner's (1957) book Verbal Behavior is a critical tool in designing effective communication programs for individuals with limited speech. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze the speech generating device (SGD) research literature from Skinner's taxonomy of primary verbal operants. An extraction procedure yielded 56 studies published between 1995 and 2018, with a total of 221 participants, most of whom had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). The large majority of SGD studies (42) targeted multiply controlled mands, whereas only a handful of studies targeted verbal operants that were not mands. Few studies employed procedures for fading contrived sources of stimulus control to promote spontaneous responding, and few studies targeted more sophisticated, topography-based responses (e.g., typing, speech). Results of the review highlight the need for better dissemination of Skinner's Verbal Behavior, the need for research to evaluate effects of SGD in teaching a greater variety of spontaneous verbal operants, and the need to focus on application of SGD with populations beyond individuals with ASD and IDD.

Confessions Selected by Consequences: An Operant Analysis of False Confessions and Interrogation Techniques

Documented cases of innocent persons in the United States having confessed to crimes that they did not commit have become commonplace since the emergence of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing as a means for confirming a person’s innocence or guilt. The risk of imprisoning any more innocent individuals on the basis of false confessions warrants a closer look at the contingencies that give rise to this kind of tragedy. Using Skinner’s (1957, Verbal Behavior, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall) and Palmer’s (1991, “A Behavioral Interpretation of Memory,” in L. J. Hayes & P. N. Chase [Eds.], Dialogues on Verbal Behavior [pp. 261–279], Reno, NV: Context Press) analyses of verbal behavior and memory, this article explores how verbal episodes between suspects and law enforcement can culminate in a false admission of guilt. In addition, to try to identify the variables that might lead to high rates of false confessions in the United States, this article examines some of the contingencies under which law enforcement investigations operate. Finally, we provide some recommendations for how the behavior analyst can fulfill the role of an expert witness, how to take into consideration a systemic and cultural perspective, and how to incorporate some technological safeguards and additional precautions when interacting with vulnerable populations.

The Effects of Scenic Picture Prompts on Variability During the Acquisition of Intraverbal Categorization for Children With Autism.

Researchers have demonstrated the efficacy of picture prompts on the acquisition of intraverbals (Coon & Miguel in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45, 657-666, 2012; Goldsmith, LeBlanc, & Sautter in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 1, 1-13, 2007; Ingvarsson & Hollobaugh in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 659-664, 2011; Ingvarsson & Le in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 27, 75-93, 2011; Miguel, Petursdottir, & Carr in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 21, 27-41, 2005; Partington & Bailey in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 11, 9-18, 1993). However, no one (to our knowledge) has determined the effects of picture prompts on the variability of responding during intraverbal categorization. We evaluated the use of a scenic picture prompt on response variability during the acquisition of intraverbal categorization with 4 children diagnosed with autism. All children mastered the task and initially demonstrated varied responding. However, responding eventually became invariant for all children. These results demonstrate the efficacy of a scenic picture prompt for teaching children with autism intraverbal categorization and for producing initial response variability. Additional research should be conducted to determine teaching procedures that promote continued varied responding for individuals with autism.

An evidence based framework for the Temporal Observational Analysis of Teamwork in healthcare settings

ObjectiveEffective teamwork is critical to patient safety across multiple healthcare settings. However, current observational tools assessing teamwork performance tend to be developed for specific settings or tasks and do not capture temporal features of interaction. This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable observational teamwork behaviour framework, which is based on healthcare practice, applicable across a variety of healthcare contexts and can be used to capture temporal team dynamics. MethodsTeam interactions were audio-visually recorded during routine simulation training at two large clinical education centres specialising in physical and mental healthcare. The framework was based on theoretical models of teamwork and was developed in three steps: 1-micro analysis of verbal and nonverbal behaviour during recorded scenarios (n = 20); 2-iterative test and refine cycles; 3-final behavioural framework applied to a cohort of acute emergency scenarios (n = 9) by two raters to assess inter-rater agreement. ResultsThe framework contains twenty-three specific verbal and nonverbal behaviours that can be identified during observations. Behaviours are grouped conceptually based on their function resulting in thirteen behavioural functions, which cluster into five overarching teamwork domains. Inter-rater agreement was excellent (Cohen's Kappa = .84, SE = 0.03). ConclusionWe present a valid and reliable behavioural framework, grounded in teamwork theory and empirical observations of clinical team behaviour. This framework enables analysis of the nuances and temporal features of clinical practice in depth and across a wide range of clinical contexts and settings. Use of this framework will advance our understanding of teamworking in healthcare.

The importance of multiple exemplar instruction in the establishment of novel verbal behavior.

According to traditional linguistic accounts language, and its generative nature, cannot be taught. From a behavior analytic perspective, language is like any other behavior; it is learned and amenable to change. Based upon Skinner's radical behavioral analysis of verbal behavior, specific procedures have been designed to promote novel verbal relations. However, despite the strength and utility of this approach, using behavioral principles to understand the generativity of language has been challenging. Dependent upon the specific theory (e.g., stimulus equivalence, relational frame theory, bidirectional naming) within the radical behavioral orientation, researchers arrange unique procedures to evaluate the variables responsible for this phenomenon. This paper presents the commonalities and differences of two procedures (i.e., multiple exemplar training, multiple exemplar instruction) with examples of research highlighting the use of both in producing generativity. Further, it describes how multiple exemplar instruction is independent from other procedures leading to this outcome, and concludes by providing recommendations for both research and practice.

The Application of Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behavior for Teaching Communication Skills to Persons with Developmental Disabilities

The current review aims to define and discuss the potential benefits of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior as it has been applied to communication interventions for people with developmental disabilities and provide recommendations for research and practice. A growing body of research guided by Skinner’s analysis continues to show the potential benefits of a functional approach to evaluating and teaching language. Many gains have been made for communication interventions for persons with developmental disabilities by applying Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior as a framework. Skinner’s approach focuses on the analysis of functional units, verbal operants, and the controlling variables that establish a communication repertoire.

Observing leadership as behavior in teams and herds – An ethological approach to shared leadership research

Both Shared Leadership Theory and evolutionary theories of leadership emphasize the role of team-level patterns of influence on team or group success. Yet, most of the empirical work on the effects of shared leadership assesses the concept through patterns of subjective perceptions of leadership and behavior. Although these studies give us important insights, subjective perceptions of leadership are prone to biases. In this paper, we draw on evolutionary theories of the development of leadership in groups and argue that group-level patterns of observable behavior have a direct effect on team outcomes above and beyond patterns of leadership and behavior perceptions. On the basis of a brief review of ethological assessment methods of leadership in animal groups, we derive implications for team leadership research methods to test hypotheses on team-level influence patterns and performance. Emphasizing the role of influence in terms of interpersonal behavior we formulate implications for the assessment and analysis of verbal and nonverbal behavior in teams. Finally, we discuss how technological advances may be utilized to promote behavioral observations in team leadership research.

Análise do Comportamento e desenvolvimento da linguagem

A Análise do Comportamento conta com suporte teórico e empírico para explicar o desenvolvimento e a aprendizagem da linguagem? Para responder à questão, foram sumarizadas quatro perspectivas teóricas analítico-comportamentais sobre a aquisição e o desenvolvimento da linguagem: comportamento verbal; comportamento simbólico; teoria da nomeação; teoria das molduras relacionais. Este estudo teve por objetivo apontar convergências e divergências entre as perspectivas teóricas e apresentar algumas implicações para a realização de estudos empíricos com participantes crianças de até 36 meses, usualmente chamadas de crianças pequenas. Desde a proposta skinneriana de análise do comportamento verbal, houve avanços nas teorias que pretenderam preencher lacunas na explicação do desenvolvimento e aquisição inicial da linguagem. Argumenta-se que é necessário dar continuidade a pesquisas que descrevam a aquisição precoce de repertórios verbais e simbólicos das crianças, em contexto experimental e no ambiente natural, para dar o necessário suporte empírico às formulações teóricas.

Alcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy: In-session behavior, active ingredients and mechanisms of behavior change

ObjectiveAlcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy (ABCT) is an efficacious alcohol treatment. The purpose of the study was to describe patient and partner language and therapist behavior during therapy sessions and test a proposed causal model linking active ingredients of ABCT as measured by therapist behaviors, hypothesized mechanisms of behavior change as measured by in-session patient and partner language, and alcohol use outcomes. MethodData came from couples in four ABCT clinical trials (N = 188; 86 males, 102 females, and their partners). Patient and partner verbal behaviors in session one and a mid-treatment session were coded using the System for Coding Couples' Interactions in Therapy–Alcohol. Therapist behavior was coded using the Couples Treatment Integrity Rating System. Percent days abstinent was calculated from daily drinking data for the first and second half of treatment and six months post-treatment. ResultsTherapists delivered an adequate level of the ABCT interventions during treatment. During treatment, couples increased positive behaviors, talked less about drinking, and decreased their amount of motivational language. Therapist behaviors did not predict patient or partner behaviors during treatment or drinking outcomes. Partner advice in the first session predicted poorer drinking outcomes. At mid-treatment, patient behaviors as a block, and specific behaviors of contemptuousness toward their partner and sustain talk, predicted poorer drinking outcomes. ConclusionsDuring ABCT, patients decrease their drinking, and patient and partner behaviors change in predicted ways. Partner advice, patient contemptuousness, and patient sustain talk predicted poorer outcomes. Analyses of within-session verbal behavior did not support the hypothesized mechanisms for change for ABCT.

FORENSIC PHONETICS: GENESIS OF A DISCIPLINE

The article deals with the development of forensic phonetics as an interdisciplinary research area which has emerged on the borderline between phonetics and law studies. The authors determine the time frames of the discipline development (the beginning of this process dates back to the 1930s - 1940s) and analyze significant criminal cases and court proceedings which have demonstrated the need to single out forensic phonetics as a separate area of theoretical research and applied studies. Irrespective of a long history of research in the area under study, the term “forensic phonetics” was coined as late as 1990. Modern foreign studies single out five main spheres of application of forensic phonetics: improvement of the quality of audio texts, audio text identification, audio text transcription, voice identification and verbal behavior analysis. In the course of one of the first studies in the given research area undertaken by the psychologist Francis McGachey it was proved that the chances of misidentification of voice after some years of its perception are rather high, and specifically due to the fact of forgetting the peculiarities of audio information after some time. The first attempt at comprehensive analysis aimed at voice identification is associated with the study of the audio speeches of Hitler after the attempt at his assassination in order to find out lest they had been recorded by a professional phonetician imitating Hitler’s voice. With the spread of the telephone in the 1950s - 1960s and the emergence of many new kinds of crimes, years and years of forensic phonetic practice and phonetic expertise were necessary to test (and finally reject) the hypothesis about the “voice prints”. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the discipline methodology and the demonstration of the importance of working out and perfection of the methods of research. On the one hand, inaccurate methods may lead to errors in expert conclusions, on the other hand - there are precedents when disregard of the methods of forensic phonetics brought about tragic consequences.

Methodological explorations of interpreter-mediated interaction: novel insights from multimodal analysis

Research in Dialogue Interpreting (DI) has traditionally drawn on qualitative analysis of verbal behaviour to explore the complex dynamics of these ‘triadic’ exchanges. Less attention has been paid to interpreter-mediated interaction as a situated, embodied activity where resources other than talk (such as gaze, gestures, head and body movement, proxemics) play a central role in the co-construction of the communicative event. This article argues that understanding the complexity of DI requires careful investigation of the interplay between multiple interactional resources, i.e. verbal in conjunction with visual, aural, embodied and spatial meaning-making resources. This call for methodological innovation is strengthened by the emergence of video-mediated interpreting, where interacting via screens without sharing the same physical space adds a further layer of complexity to interactional dynamics. Drawing on authentic extracts from interpreter-mediated interaction, both face-to-face and video-mediated, this article problematizes how the integration of a multimodal perspective into qualitative investigation of interpreter-mediated interaction can contribute to the advancement of our understanding of key interactional dynamics in DI and, in turn, broaden the scope of multimodality to include new, uncharted territory.

Deconstructing Common Bidirectional Naming: A Proposed Classification Framework.

Conceptually, the use of the technical term naming appears to be a broad term that describes several subtypes of emergent verbal behavior. Miguel (The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 32, 125-138, Miguel, 2016) introduces the concept of subtypes of naming, specifically common bidirectional naming and intraverbal bidirectional naming. He defines common bidirectional naming as "the process of different stimuli evoking the same speaker and listener behaviour and becoming members of the same class" (p. 130). A review of the literature on common bidirectional naming yielded some ambiguities related to differences in how researchers in the field defined naming. This article suggests that common bidirectional naming may be further dissected to yield six subtypes of naming. We aligned previous research on emergent verbal behavior with a unified taxonomy as part of a larger proposed classification framework on naming. The impact of identifying the subtypes of common bidirectional naming on skill acquisition and curriculum design is discussed. Finally, recommendations are made for future research based on this framework.