Which term describes the verbal operant that involves naming, labeling, or describing an environment feature in response to a nonverbal stimulus?

Which term describes the verbal operant that involves naming, labeling, or describing an environment feature in response to a nonverbal stimulus?

• A. Verbal operants
• B. Tact
• C. Echoic
• D. Intraverbal

Answer: (B)

Naming or describing something in the environment in response to a nonverbal cue is a tact. A tact is a verbal response that labels or describes what you observe, prompted by a present nonverbal stimulus, and it’s reinforced by social acknowledgment or praise. For example, seeing a dog and saying “dog” or pointing to a red ball and saying “red ball” are tacts because the environment feature triggers the label. Echoic would involve repeating something you heard, not labeling a present environment feature. Intraverbal involves responding in a conversational way to questions or in contexts not tied to a specific present stimulus. So the act described—labeling what’s in the environment when you see it—fits tact best.

Naming or describing something in the environment in response to a nonverbal cue is a tact. A tact is a verbal response that labels or describes what you observe, prompted by a present nonverbal stimulus, and it’s reinforced by social acknowledgment or praise. For example, seeing a dog and saying “dog” or pointing to a red ball and saying “red ball” are tacts because the environment feature triggers the label. Echoic would involve repeating something you heard, not labeling a present environment feature. Intraverbal involves responding in a conversational way to questions or in contexts not tied to a specific present stimulus. So the act described—labeling what’s in the environment when you see it—fits tact best.