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Updated: May 23, 2026
06:57
Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
Published on: May 14, 2019
Summary
Skinner's theory of verbal behavior overlooks listener comprehension. Joint control, where a response is evoked by multiple stimuli, explains how listeners understand novel language and abstract concepts.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior describes speaker output but lacks listener comprehension.
- Existing models struggle to explain how novel linguistic meanings are understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the deficiency in Skinner's theory regarding listener comprehension of novel language.
- To introduce and elaborate on the concept of joint control in verbal behavior.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of Skinner's verbal operants.
- Introduction of the 'joint control' mechanism.
- Application of joint control to explain language phenomena.
Main Results:
- Joint control is defined as a verbal operant's topography being evoked by multiple stimuli.
- This mechanism provides a behavioral account for comprehension of novel words, sentences, and propositions.
- Joint control explains the development of abstraction in children's speech.
Conclusions:
- Joint control offers a robust behavioral explanation for language comprehension and meaning.
- The concept extends to diverse linguistic phenomena, including abstraction.
- This framework enhances the understanding of listener behavior in verbal interactions.
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