Word associations to 51 stimulus words selected from the Kent and Rosanoff stimulus list were obtained from 110 graduate and 75 undergraduate teacher trainees. Associations were analyzed so that comparisons between teacher-trainee associations and several adult normative collections could be made. Response homogeneity was found to increase…

The results of this study indicated a correspondence between selected categories of therapist verbalizations, ordered in terms of stimulus specificity and the amplitude of his patient's autonomic arousal. A similar relationship was found between the therapist's level of autonomic arousal in response to his own categorized verbalizations. (Author)

Juniors in three high schools were selected for the study. Findings: (1) Both reinforcement groups were effective in reducing students' feelings of alienation; (2) There were no significant differences between effects of model reinforcement and verbal reinforcement counseling; (3) There was no interaction between counselors and treatments or…

Investigates the effects of varying the motivational context of verbal rationales on children's compliance with prohibition. Results indicate that children who received other-oriented rationales performed a greater amount of work and were less likely to show decrements in working over time than did subjects who received self-oriented rationales.…

This study investigated novel word acquisition by 18- and 24-month-old children in the context of adult referential behavior independent of variations in salience. Findings suggest that 24-month olds use referential intent of the speaker to learn new words, but when learning, they may have a less secure grasp on the meaning of speakers'…

The purpose of the current experiment was to investigate the role of private verbal behavior on the operant performances of human adults, using a protocol analysis procedure with additional methodological controls (the "silent dog" method). Twelve subjects were exposed to fixed ratio 8 and differential reinforcement of low rate 3-s schedules. For…

In this study we examined conceptual priming using environmental sounds and visually displayed words. Priming for sounds and words was observed in response latency as well as in event-related potentials. Reactions were faster when a related word followed an environmental sound and vice versa. Moreover both stimulus types produced an N400-effect…

The history of the writing of "Verbal Behavior" (Skinner, 1957), Chomsky's review (1959), and MacCorquodale's rebuttal (1970) are briefly summarized. Chomsky's recent reflections on his review are analyzed: Chomsky's refusal to acknowledge the review's errors or its aggressive tone is consistent with his polemical style but comes at a minor cost…

Experiment 1 investigated the effects of observational training in a social listener reinforcement game on participants' conversational units in non-instructional settings. Experiment 2 tested the effects of multiple exemplar instruction on the development of "empathy." The participants who had reader/writer levels of verbal behavior were selected…

Describing the state of the science of ABA, this comprehensive handbook provides detailed information about theory, research, and intervention. The contributors are leading ABA authorities who present current best practices in behavioral assessment and demonstrate evidence-based strategies for supporting positive behaviors and reducing problem…