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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

Published on: May 14, 2019

The role of verbal behavior in human learning: III. Instructional effects in children

R P Bentall, C F Lowe

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |March 1, 1987
    PubMed

    Insights

    Children

    Area of Science:

    • Psychology
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Behavioral Psychology

    Background:

    • Children's behavior is influenced by instructions.
    • Self-instruction can shape behavior.
    • Language plays a role in behavior regulation.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the impact of self-instruction on children's behavior under a fixed-interval schedule.
    • To examine age-related differences in response to instructions and self-instruction.
    • To explore the role of language in mediating behavior.

    Main Methods:

    • Children from three age groups (2.5-4, 5-6.5, 7.5-9 years) participated.
    • Participants were instructed to respond at high or low rates on a fixed-interval 40-s schedule.
    • Children were trained to use spoken self-instructions aligned with experimenter instructions.

    Main Results:

    • High-rate instructions led to consistent high-rate responding across all ages.
    • Low-rate instruction effects varied by age, with younger children showing less consistent low-rate behavior.
    • Self-instruction training improved low-rate responding, particularly in older children, and enhanced interval estimation in the oldest group.

    Conclusions:

    • Language, specifically self-instruction, is a significant determinant of human behavior.
    • The development of language-mediated self-regulation varies with age.
    • Self-instruction can lead to adult-like behavioral control in children.

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