Skinner’s elementary verbal operants

Provide an original example of each of the following elementary verbal operants in your response, along with an illustration of when you might want to focus on changing this behavior within an individual: (a) the mand; (b) the tact; (c) the echoic; (d) the intraverbal; and (e) the transcription relation.
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B.F. Skinner was a behavioral psychologist and he developed these verbal operants: the mand, tact, echoic, intraverbal and transcription relation.
These verbal operants are considered key to teaching verbal behavior to autistic individuals using Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). ABA emphasizes the belief that humans learn to behave based upon the demands placed on them by their environment. Verbal operants are units of language. “Skinner explained that language could be analyzed into a set of functional units, with each type of operant serving a different function (Autism Community, 2011).”

Verbal behavior is more than just vocal. An individual may also use sign language and gestures to communicate. Verbal behavior might increase when it is reinforcing to communicate. Since some individuals, particularly those with autism, sometimes struggle with communicating their needs, they must learn effective communication styles to teach language and promote reinforcement.

“The Mand …