The mand is a type of verbal operant whose response form is under control of a motivating operation (MO). It is the first verbal operant to be acquired, directly benefits the speaker, leads to the development of other behaviors, and may serve to replace problem behavior. Even though the topography of the mand is under the functional control of an…

We assessed the maintenance of newly acquired mands under presession reinforcer access (reinforcer efficacy abolished) and no presession reinforcer access (reinforcer efficacy established) conditions with 3 children with autism spectrum disorder. Results suggested that the no presession access condition established the value of the reinforcer and…

Amid the novel terms and original analyses in Skinner's "Verbal Behavior", the importance of his discussion of multiple control is easily missed, but multiple control of verbal responses is the rule rather than the exception. In this paper we summarize and illustrate Skinner's analysis of multiple control and introduce the terms "convergent…

Few studies have made use of B. F. Skinner's (1957) behavioral analysis of language and precise taxonomy of verbal behavior when describing the controlling variables for the mand relation. Consequently, the motivating operation (MO) has not typically been identified as an independent variable and the nature of a spontaneous mand has been…

Mice from replicate lines, selectively bred based on high daily wheel-running rates, run more total revolutions and at higher average speeds than do mice from nonselected control lines. Based on this difference it was assumed that selected mice would find the opportunity to run in a wheel a more efficacious consequence. To assess this assumption…

Both the directions and the directions plus reinforcement groups increased subjects' time on the task during the experimental phases. When extrinsic reinforcement and directions were removed, they maintained intrinsically motivated behaviors at levels significantly above levels observed during the baseline phase and significantly higher than the…

This paper points out the inadequacies of emotional or drive-based theories of exploratory behavior and offers instead a behavior analysis conceptualization. Exploratory behavior as an emotional state was rejected because the environmental conditions said to arouse exploration and the behaviors said to manifest curiosity are too general to…

It is maintained that behavior modification techniques of postitve and intermittent reinforcement specified by B. Skinner to prevent extinction may adversely affect the critical internal motivators of gifted students, who may be bored by constant success. (MC)

This research was supported by Research Grant No. 30-200-50, Indiana University Foundation, Indiana University.

Results of this study indicate that sample group of unskilled laborers were more productive working under a schedule of continuous reinforcement than under a varied schedule, despite higher average earnings during the latter program. (RW)

It is suggested that the theory of behavior based on conditioning processes can be reconciled with new data, but only by revising certain tacit behaviorist assumptions about the parameters of the conditioning process. (Author/AM)

Discussion of student motivation and participation, emphasizing the teacher's role in managing students' behavior. (ST)

A twelve-year-old profoundly retarded, self-abusive and assaultive child who did not feed himself was motivated to feed himself and modify undesirable responses within eight days. (Authors)