Master Skinner's verbal operants with an interactive quiz, compare table, clinical decision tool, and memory hooks built for BCBA exam success.
🎯 Take the Practice QuizSkinner (1957) classified all verbal behavior by its controlling variable and type of reinforcement — not by its form. Each operant is functionally distinct.
Verbal behavior controlled by a Motivating Operation (MO) and reinforced by the specific item or action requested.
Verbal behavior controlled by a nonverbal stimulus (object, event, property) and reinforced by generalized conditioned reinforcement.
Verbal behavior controlled by a verbal SD with point-to-point correspondence; the response matches the topography of the antecedent.
Verbal behavior controlled by a verbal SD from another speaker but with no point-to-point correspondence.
The mand is unique: it is the only verbal operant controlled by a Motivating Operation (not an SD) and reinforced by its specific reinforcer. All other operants are controlled by an SD and reinforced by generalized conditioned reinforcement.
A functional analysis of each verbal operant: antecedent, response, reinforcer, and critical features.
These appear less frequently on the exam but may be tested as distractors.
The listener's nonverbal response to another's verbal behavior (e.g., following an instruction). Not a verbal operant in Skinner's sense but part of the verbal behavior system — the listener mediates reinforcement for the speaker.
Reading aloud — controlled by a written verbal SD, produces a vocal response with point-to-point correspondence. Like an echoic but the antecedent is written, not spoken. Reinforced by GCR.
Writing or typing under the control of spoken words (dictation). Point-to-point correspondence between the spoken SD and the written response. Like an echoic in written modality.
Writing or typing under the control of a written SD — point-to-point correspondence in the written modality. Distinct from transcription (spoken → written) since both SD and response are written.
Filter by operant to highlight a column, or view all four together.
| Criterion | 📣 Mand | 👁️ Tact | 🔁 Echoic | 💬 Intraverbal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antecedent | Motivating Operation (MO) | Nonverbal SD (object/event/property) | Verbal SD (spoken word/phrase) | Verbal SD (another's speech) |
| Reinforcer | Specific — the exact item/action manded | Generalized conditioned reinforcement | Generalized conditioned reinforcement | Generalized conditioned reinforcement |
| Point-to-Point Correspondence | No (not applicable) | No (not applicable) | ✅ YES — matches form of verbal SD | ❌ NO — different from verbal SD |
| MO Involvement | ✅ YES — essential | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Response Specifies Reinforcer | ✅ YES | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| SD Type | MO (not an SD) | Nonverbal | Verbal (vocal) | Verbal (vocal) |
| Formal Similarity | N/A | No formal similarity required | Yes — same modality (vocal → vocal) | No (or different modality) |
| Benefits | The speaker (directly reinforced) | The listener (info about environment) | Both (imitation enables communication) | Both (sustains conversation) |
| Clinical Priority | Taught first — builds communication motivation | Builds vocabulary/labeling repertoire | Taught early — prerequisite for other operants | Advanced — requires robust verbal repertoire |
| Exam Example | "Water" (when thirsty) → gets water | "Airplane!" (when seeing one fly by) | "Cat" (after instructor says "Say cat") | "Four" (when asked "What comes after 3?") |
| FCT Connection | FCT = teaching a mand to replace problem behavior | Not typically targeted via FCT | Foundation for vocal mand training | Not typically targeted via FCT |
Apply your knowledge to clinical and everyday scenarios.
10 questions with per-pillar performance breakdown. Identify the correct verbal operant in each scenario.
Answer 2–3 questions to identify which verbal operant you are observing or targeting.
Click each card to flip it and reveal the mnemonic.
👆 Tap a card to flip
| If the exam says… | Think… | Operant |
|---|---|---|
| "Establishing operation," "deprivation," "aversive" | MO is present | Mand |
| "See," "look at," "object present," "event occurred" | Nonverbal SD | Tact |
| "Say ___," "repeat after me," "imitate" | Verbal SD + P2P | Echoic |
| "Fill in the blank," "what comes next," "answer the question" | Verbal SD, no P2P | Intraverbal |
| "FCT," "replacement behavior," "communicating need" | Specific reinforcer | Mand |
| "Read aloud," written word → vocal response | Written SD + P2P | Textual |
| "Cookie" said different ways | Check controlling variable | Could be ANY of the 4! |