We aimed to develop and validate a multidimensional framework for analyzing complex verbal behavior. This involved introducing and demonstrating the use of multiaxial radar charts for visualizing and quantifying the interdependence of elementary verbal operants. Next, we extended the application of radar charts to the broader field of behavior analysis, emphasizing their utility in measuring and understanding complex human behavior. Last, we apply these methodologies to practical scenarios involving children with autism spectrum disorder to assess and address verbal behavior deficits within diverse linguistic contexts. By integrating these objectives, we enhance the understanding of verbal behavior's functional interdependence and its emergent properties. We posit that a multidimensional approach, facilitated by innovative graphical and quantitative tools, provides a more comprehensive and accurate analysis of verbal behavior, leading to improved intervention strategies for individuals with language deficits. This work not only contributes to the theoretical foundations of behavior analysis but also offers practical applications for enhancing language development in diverse populations.

In 2 experiments, I studied the effects of an Equivalence Based Instruction (EBI) math intervention on the emergence of untaught selection responses and abstraction to production responses. In Experiment I, using a multiple baseline design, I implemented the EBI intervention among a group of 17 first grade participants with varying levels of math prerequisites and verbal behavior development. The intervention sought to develop a comprehensive relational network for the part-whole relations involved in addition and subtraction operations. This intervention, informed by Verbal Behavior Development Theory, Relational Frame Theory, and research on math proficiency, utilized visual and verbal stimulus presentations of fact families to establish the concepts underlying addition and subtraction. The key concept was that of a fact-family, in which two parts are equivalent to the whole and the whole is equivalent to the sum of its parts. The goal of the EBI intervention was to establish a relational network involving pictures, number bonds, sentences, and equations such that the part-whole relations involved in fact-families could be related to both addition and subtraction. The EBI intervention consisted of 3 phases to build this relational network. In Phase I, participants learned to match sentences describing complete fact-families with pictures and number bonds. In Phase II, participants learned to match sentences describing incomplete fact-families with number bonds. In Phase III, participants learned to match incomplete number bonds with addition and subtraction equations presented in various topographies. Before and after each phase of the intervention, I assessed the degree to which participants acquired untaught responses as well as their performance on production, or problem-solving, probes. Results revealed that the combinatorially entailed response (i.e., matching pictures with number bonds) emerged for all participants, while the mutually entailed response (i.e., selecting sentences) emerged for only some participants. Participants generally improved their problem-solving following the intervention; however, further examination was needed to supplement initial visual analyses of the graphs. Accordingly, I conducted a series of statistical analyses to evaluate individual and group-level differences in responding during the EBI intervention. These analyses also sought to reveal whether math prerequisites or level of verbal behavior development were associated with performance during Phases I, II, and III. Results showed that the EBI intervention was associated with standardized math performance and problem-solving accuracy, and results suggested that verbal behavior development has a meaningful relation with rate of learning. In Experiment II, I aimed to evaluate the educational significance of the repertoires involved in the EBI intervention by conducting a correlational study with 32 additional first grade participants. This experiment revealed that the response-types targeted in Phase III of the intervention were significantly associated with standardized math performance.

Social issues are becoming increasingly apparent. More people are experiencing the impact of social issues directly and through their media consumption. It is important to understand and reflect on our collective impact on the media and how the media affects the collective. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a collaborative workshop (collective shaping) and a verbal community that examined media depictions of social justice and injustice related to context and power dynamics. The effects of the workshop were evaluated using an A-B design with multiple probe measures across three participants. During the pre-, probe, and post-training assessments, participants watched videos and responded to a written prompt. Results of the study suggest that written responses were not adequately trained during the workshop. However, anecdotally, participant's verbal responding shifted drastically during the training workshop. The results are discussed within the context of the training apparatus, effects the workshop had on the participants and researchers, and progression forward.

We evaluated the effects of an instructional package on the emergence of novel intraverbals in children diagnosed with autism. Participants were two boys with a diagnosis of autism who had tact and listener repertoires for common objects and events, some intraverbal responses, and showed an ability to learn new intraverbal responses through direct instruction prior to participating in the study. Tact training, listener training, sorting training, and mixed training (listener and tact training) were conducted with each participant, with a probe to test for emergent intraverbals following each training step. If some emergence was seen during a probe following a training step, probes were conducted with the remaining sets to test for emergence in those sets as well. Multiple-exemplar training was conducted following the training steps if all targets within a set did not meet the criterion for emergence during probes. Results showed that for one participant, all four training steps, in addition to multiple-exemplar training, were needed to see emergence in all targets during probes for two sets, with the last two sets requiring only tact training before all targets had emerged during probes. The second participant required only tact training during three sets, with listener training required for one target in one set before all targets in all sets emerged during probes.

O desenvolvimento de repertórios verbais é reconhecido como sendo fundamental para a inserção do indivíduo na cultura. Pesquisas têm indicado que existem características de interação adulto-criança, que, quando presentes desde muito cedo, favorecem esse desenvolvimento. A escola é um contexto privilegiado para que a criança desenvolva repertórios verbais. No Brasil, a educação infantil objetiva promover o desenvolvimento integral (inclusive da linguagem) de crianças de 0 a 5 anos. Por isso, um dos objetivos deste estudo foi averiguar a presença de condições estruturais e de interação (adulto-criança), que a literatura destaca como sendo importantes para a aprendizagem da linguagem por crianças, em escolas municipais de educação infantil. Além disso, objetivou-se comparar essas mesmas condições em turmas de educação infantil com faixas etárias diferentes (de aproximadamente 2 a 3 anos Maternal I; e 4 anos de idade Etapa I). Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa de campo exploratória, com método observacional. Participaram do estudo duas turmas, uma com crianças que tinham aproximadamente 3 anos (Maternal I M1) e a outra 4 anos (Etapa I E1) quando a pesquisa foi iniciada (n total = 35 crianças e duas professoras). O procedimento envolveu cinco etapas: i) ingresso nas salas de aula e avaliação das crianças; ii) observações e filmagens na sala de aula; iii) análise do ambiente escolar, entrevista com as professoras e preenchimento de escalas padronizadas; iv) devolutivas para as escolas; v) transcrição e análise categorizada das filmagens. A análise de dados foi feita pelo registro das frequências (absoluta e relativa) de cada categoria, para cada turma. Também foi calculado o coeficiente de correlação de Pearson para verificar se os desempenhos dos alunos no teste de linguagem tinham correlação com o quanto eles falavam nas aulas. Os resultados indicam que as crianças mais bem avaliadas quanto à linguagem também foram aquelas que falaram mais durante as aulas. Em ambas as turmas, os alunos emitiram mais respostas verbais estritamente relacionadas àquilo que as professoras haviam perguntado. Mas, os alunos de E1 iniciaram mais interações com a professora, emitiram mais perguntas e responderam fazendo mais expansões àquilo que a professora havia perguntado. As professoras, por sua vez, arranjaram contingências muito semelhantes para as duas turmas: emitiram mais respostas verbais que não propiciam o desenvolvimento de linguagem das crianças (e.g., perguntas fechadas e instruções relacionadas à atividade); apresentaram a mesma variabilidade de palavras (types e tokens); e organizaram atividades que demandavam desempenhos com o mesmo nível de complexidade para as duas faixas etárias. As condições da escola foram bem avaliadas apenas no que diz respeito à qualidade das interações e aos cuidados pessoais dispensados às crianças, em detrimento de condições estruturais que efetivamente favorecessem a realização de atividades acadêmicas de qualidade. Esses resultados indicam que a escola, como uma instituição na qual devem existir agentes culturais, que ensinem repertórios verbais ao indivíduo, tem cumprido pouco seu papel / The development of verbal repertoires is recognized as being fundamental to insert the individual into the culture. Researches have indicated that there are characteristics of adult-child interaction, which, when present from a very early age, favor this development. The school is a privileged context for the child to develop verbal repertoires. In Brazil, early childhood education aims to promote the integral development (including language) of children from 0 to 5 years old. Therefore, one of the objectives of this study was to verify the presence of structural and interaction conditions (adult-child), which the literature highlights as being important for children\'s language learning in municipal schools for early childhood education. In addition, it aimed to compare the same conditions in preschool classes of children with different ages (approximately 2 years old - Maternal I and 4 years old - Etapa I). For that, an exploratory field research was carried out, with an observational method. Two groups participated in the study, one with children who were approximately 3 years old (Maternal I - M1) and the other 4 years (Etapa I - E1) when the research was started. In total, there were 35 children and their respective teachers. The procedure involved five steps: i) entrance into the classrooms and evaluation of the children; ii) observations and filming in the classroom; iii) analysis of the school environment, interview with teachers and filling of standardized scales; iv) devolutive for schools; v) transcription and categorized analysis of filming. Data analysis was done by recording the frequencies (absolute and relative) of each category, for each class. Pearson\'s correlation coefficient was calculated to verify if students\' performances in the language test correlated with how much they spoke in class. The results indicate that the children who were better evaluated for language were also the ones who spoke the most during the lessons. In both groups, students spoke more verbal responses strictly related to what teachers had asked. But the students at E1 started more interactions with the teacher, asked more questions and answered by making more expansions to what the teacher had asked. The teachers, on the other hand, arranged very similar contingencies for the two classes: they issued more verbal responses that did not support children\'s language development (e.g., closed-ended questions and instructions related to the activity); they spoke the same word variability; and organized activities that demanded performances with the same level of complexity for the two age groups. School conditions were well evaluated only in terms of the quality of interactions and personal care provided to children, but not about structural conditions that effectively favored quality academic activities. These results indicate that the school, as an institution in which there must be cultural agents who teach verbal repertoires to the children, has been accomplishing little its role

Há ainda resultados controversos na literatura indicando a superioridade ou não do procedimento de seleção de estímulos em relação ao de emissão de diferentes topografias de respostas no ensino de comportamento verbal para indivíduos não verbais ou com repertório verbal limitado. Os resultados dos estudos publicados anteriormente, por possuírem dados conflitantes em diferentes populações com atraso no desenvolvimento, parecem não ser generalizáveis. O estudo teve por objetivo realizar comparações entre os dois procedimentos, em que diferentes tatos foram treinados, buscando com isso, caracterizar o procedimento que produzisse a) menor quantidade de respostas necessárias para atingir critério de aprendizagem e b) menor número de erros e c) maior número de respostas corretas no pós-teste de simetria. No presente estudo foram empregados três participantes, com idades entre três e treze anos, diagnosticados com o transtorno do espectro autista, sem outras comorbidades psiquiátricas. Para o estudo foram criadas duas condições experimentais divididas em duas fases cada, duas para Seleção de Estímulos e duas para Topografia de Respostas e cada uma das fases se utilizou de conjuntos de estímulos (um objeto, um símbolo não familiar e um sinal de linguagem de sinais) especialmente desenvolvidos para o estudo. A primeira condição foi a de resposta baseada em Topografia, em que o participante é exposto a um objeto e o experimentador pergunta o que é isso? . A criança tem até cinco segundos para fazer o sinal de língua de sinais arbitrária correspondente ao estímulo. A segunda condição foi a de resposta baseada em seleção de estímulos ( tais condições foram invertidas na Fase 2). O experimentador apresentava um objeto e a criança tinha até cinco segundos para apontar o símbolo não familiar correspondente, que era randomizado com outros dois estímulos arbitrários. A randomização foi produzida por sorteio dos conjuntos de estímulos e a posição dos mesmos foi alterada em posição e ordem de apresentação. Após a aplicação de C1 e C2 na fase 1 e aplicação de C2-C1 na fase 2, foi aplicado um pós-teste de simetria para os tatos treinados. Os resultados apontam que apesar de haver vantagem no procedimento baseado em Topografias de Respostas, pode haver um efeito de ordem significativo e que a direção de aplicação dos procedimentos não apresenta diferenças significativas entre si. Tais achados parecem coadunar com as ideias de Shaffer (1993) que defende a busca de métodos individualizados de acordo com os repertórios particulares de cada aluno e a união de procedimentos deve ser adotada como principal estratégia de ensino para crianças com TEA / There still are controversies in the literature regarding the superiority or not of the Selection Based procedure as compared to Topography Based in verbal behavior teaching for nonverbal individuals or individuals with limited verbal repertoire. The results of previously published studies, having conflicting data in different populations with developmental delay, do not seem to be generalizable. The study aimed to make comparisons between the two procedures in which different tacts were trained, seeking thereby to characterize the procedure that produced a) lower number of responses needed to meet criteria for learning, b) fewer errors and c) higher number of correct answers in symmetry posttest. The present study employed three participants, aged between three and thirteen, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder without other psychiatric comorbidities. For the study were created two experimental conditions divided into two stages each, two for Stimuli Selection and two for Responses Topography. Each phase used stimuli sets (an object, an unfamiliar symbol and a speech signal signals) specially developed for the study. The first condition was the topography based response, in which the participant is exposed to an object and the experimenter asks \"what is this? \". The child had up to five seconds to make the arbitrary language sign corresponding to the stimulus. The second condition was a response based on stimuli selection (such conditions are reversed in phase 2). The experimenter had an object and the child had up to five seconds to point the corresponding unfamiliar symbol, which was randomized with two other arbitrary stimuli. Randomization was produced by drawing of the sets of stimuli and the position thereof was changed in position and presentation order. After application of C1 and C2 in phase 1 and applying C1-C2 in step 2, a symmetry post-test for trained tacts was applied. The results show that although the Topography Based procedure has its advantages, there may be a significant order effect. Also, the direction of application of the procedures does not show significant differences. These findings appear to be consistent with the ideas of Shaffer (1993) who argues for the pursuit of methods customized to the particular repertoires of each student and that a unification of procedures should be adopted as the main teaching strategy for children with ASD

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T14:19:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DALVA DE JESUS CUTRIM MACHADO.pdf: 420046 bytes, checksum: 816e073b99d0b74ec40354c6ade154af (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-01-10 / This study aimed to investigate the relationships between environmental variables and behavioral analysis that would promote relations analysis between speaker and listener. It also sought to investigate verbal and nonverbal context. From this perspective four experiments were performed: Experiment I had the following objectives: a) check if there was visual contact control variable (CV) and statement with the head (AC), which reinforce the verbal behavior of the speaker and listener in the total verbal episode b) consider whether different audiences control verbal differentiated responses between the behavior of the speaker and listener in a total verbal episode. Eight people aged 20 to 27 years of age took part of this experiment. The results showed that the control of the variable, visual contact had occured (VC) for most participants, while the variable (AC) there was no control for most participants. Experiment II aimed to systematically replicate the procedure adopted in the study of Simonassi, Tizo, Gomes and Alvarenga (2009) to see if: a) verbal contexts (instructions) and nonverbal (object) control on verbal responses in a total verbal episode b) whether the addition of a new object when presented in the presence of other existing objects controls verbal responses in a total verbal episode. This experiment was conducted with eleven participants aged 18 to 23 years. The results were similar to the experiment cited, and there was verbal control of responses when a new object was introduced: the answer had changed. Experiment III aimed to investigate: a) to test more systematically the possible influence on changing the verbal context (instructions) and verify if it would influence the control of verbal responses in a total verbal episode while maintaining the same nonverbal objects from Experiment II. Experiment III was conducted with eleven participants aged 19 to 25 years. The results showed that the change in the instructions had changed the context when compared to Experiment II. Experiment IV aimed to verify: a) what the written accounts of the participants were like with the same verbal context (instruction) from Experiment III and various contextual objects. This experiment was conducted with eleven participants aged 17 to 25 years. It was found that there was a significant reduction of responses when a different object was presented and there were changes in participants' verbal reports. It was concluded that both the verbal context (instruction) and the non-verbal context (objects) when they were changed, changed the response of the participants in the various experimental conditions. / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar as relações entre as variáveis ambientais e comportamentais que favorecessem a análise das relações entre falante e ouvinte em um episódio verbal total. Também procurou investigar contexto verbal e não verbal. Foram realizados quatro Experimentos: o Experimento I teve como objetivo investigar: a) se houve ocorrência da variável contato visual (CV) e asserção com a cabeça (AC), que reforçam o comportamento verbal do falante no episódio verbal total; b) analisar se audiências diferenciadas controlam respostas verbais diferenciadas no comportamento do falante em um episódio verbal total. Participaram desse experimento, oito alunos com idades entre 20 a 27 anos de idade. Os resultados mostraram que houve controle da variável contato visual (CV) para a maioria dos participantes, enquanto a variável (AC) não houve controle da variável para a maioria dos participantes. Experimento II objetivou replicar de forma sistemática o procedimento adotado no estudo de Simonassi, Tizo, Gomes e Alvarenga (2010) com acréscimo de dois novos objetos, um lápis e uma bola, para verificar: 1) se contextos verbais (instruções) e não verbais (objetos) exercem controle sobre respostas verbais em um episódio verbal total; 2) se o acréscimo de novos objetos quando apresentados na presença dos outros objetos já existentes controlam respostas verbais em um episódio verbal total. Este experimento foi realizado com onze participantes com idades entre 18 a 23 anos. Os resultados foram semelhantes aos do Experimento citado, e houve controle das respostas verbais quando introduziu-se um novo objeto: o responder se modificou. Objetivo do Experimento III foi investigar sistematicamente a possível influencia na mudança dos comportamentos verbais que ocorreram no Experimento II, ou seja, se a modificação de estímulos verbais sob a forma de instrução em um contexto não verbal influenciaria o controle das respostas verbais em um episódio verbal total. Foi realizado com onze participantes com idade entre 19 a 25 anos. Os resultados mostraram que a mudança na instrução alterou o contexto quando comparado ao Experimento II. Experimento IV teve como finalidade investigar sistematicamente uma possível influencia na mudança dos relatos escritos dos participantes. Com o mesmo contexto verbal (instruções) semelhante ao do Experimento III. E a modificação de objetos não verbais. Este experimento foi realizado com onze participantes com idade entre 17 a 25 anos. Verificou-se que houve diminuição significativa das respostas quando o objeto diferente foi apresentado e houve alteração nos relatos verbais dos participantes. Concluiu-se que tanto o contexto verbal (instrução) quanto o contexto não verbal (objetos) quando foram alterados alteravam o responder dos participantes nas diversas condições experimentais.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T14:20:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata de Moura Guedes.pdf: 382361 bytes, checksum: 78386e6613f66930866d495763d3d27f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-08-09 / The present study conducted a comparative analysis of three different procedures, Stimulus Equivalence, Automatic Reinforcement and Direct Reinforcement. Its aim was to investigate the efficacy of these procedures for naming acquisition. Six children who were between five and eleven years old with moderate language delay participated. Nine stimuli were selected for each participant, three for each procedure. Findings do not suggest that there is a substantial difference between the participants´performance in the experiments; therefore one can not affirm that a procedure is better than the other. The results indicate that the difference in the children s repertoire is a relevant factor to understand the disparity of results found in this study. / O presente estudo realizou uma análise comparativa de três procedimentos diferentes, a Equivalência de Estímulos, o Reforçamento Automático e o Reforçamento Direto com o intuito de investigar a eficácia dos mesmos para a aquisição do nomear. Seis participantes que tinham entre cinco e onze anos com atraso de linguagem moderado participaram do estudo. Foram selecionados nove estímulos para cada participante, sendo três para cada procedimento. Os resultados deste estudo não sugerem que exista uma diferença substancial entre o desempenho dos participantes nos experimentos, assim não se pode afirmar que um experimento seja melhor que outro. Os resultados indicam que a diferença nos repertórios dos participantes é um fator importante para a disparidade dos resultados encontrados neste estudo.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T14:21:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DAISY CLEIA OLIVEIRA DOS SANTOS.pdf: 558943 bytes, checksum: 70bada0301e7f7b0f1140b3df01ae600 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-03-09 / Since the initial definition of schizophrenia, the psychotic speech has been a constant goal of analysis. In this study, it was investigated the relation between three different interventions on valuation of the verbal behavior of a person who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. For all the interventions it has established the social reinforcement to the appropriated speech. Besides a procedure of interruption of the social attention for the psychotic speech in the Intervention 1, the functional analysis of the contents of the psychotic speech in the Intervention 2, and a verbal skills training in the Intervention 3. The program of intervention was effective on the diminution of the psychotic speech and on the amplitude of the appropriated speech. With principal effects in the Interventions 2 and 3. In consequence, the psychotic speech shows modifications according on the programmed contingences. / Desde a definição inicial da esquizofrenia, a fala psicótica tem sido alvo constante de análise. Neste estudo investigou-se a relação entre três diferentes intervenções na avaliação do comportamento verbal de uma pessoa com o diagnóstico de esquizofrenia. Em todas as intervenções, estabeleceu-se o reforçamento social para as falas apropriadas. Além de um procedimento de suspensão da atenção social para as falas psicóticas na Intervenção 1, a análise funcional dos conteúdos da fala psicótica na Intervenção 2, e um treinamento de habilidade verbal na Intervenção 3. O programa de intervenção foi efetivo na diminuição das falas psicóticas e na ampliação das falas apropriadas. Com modificações comportamentais significativas nas Intervenções 2 e 3. Conseqüentemente, a fala psicótica mostrou-se modificável de acordo com as contingências programadas.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T14:21:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Adriana da Silva Arantes Campos.pdf: 1130712 bytes, checksum: 034ea15f94e341fbfefc374b94bf4a0f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-01-06 / This study examined experientially behaviors considered mental processes by other psychological guidelines, but for Behavior Analysis, founded by the philosophy of Radical Behaviorism proposed by Skinner, are considered private verbal behaviors, as thought. To verify functional relations that artificial contingencies perform on participants performance and the relationship of these artificial contingencies with public and private pre-happenings in a mathematical task of troubleshooting. Two experiments were conducted with 6 participants in a subject design as his own control. Experiment I objected to verify functional relations of public pre-happenins and magnitude of strengthening. Experiment II aimed to verify if participants performance in a mathematical task of troubleshooting is function of artificial contingencies and the relationship of these contingencies with public and private pre-happenins during the task proposed. Results suggested that magnitudes of strengthening defined as points do not interfere in participants performance on solving mathematical equations with unknowns (private behavior), natural reinforcement seems to have controlled participants behavior in this type of task resolution. / O presente estudo analisou experimentalmente comportamentos considerados processos mentais por outras orientações psicológicas, mas que para a Análise do Comportamento, ciência fundamentada pela filosofia do Behaviorismo Radical proposta por Skinner, são considerados comportamentos verbais privados, tal como o pensamento. Com o objetivo de verificar as relações funcionais que contingências arbitrárias exercem sobre o desempenho de participantes e a relação dessas contingências arbitrárias com precorrentes públicos e privados em uma tarefa de solução de problemas matemáticos. Dois experimentos foram conduzidos com 6 participantes com um delineamento do sujeito como seu próprio controle. O Experimento I objetivou verificar as relações funcionais de precorrentes públicos e magnitude do reforço. O Experimento II teve como objetivo verificar se o desempenho dos participantes em uma tarefa de resolução de problemas matemáticos é função de contingências arbitrárias e a relação destas contingências com precorrentes públicos e privados na tarefa proposta. Os resultados sugeriram que magnitudes de reforço definidas como pontos não interferem no desempenho dos participantes em resolver equações matemáticas com incógnitas (comportamento privado), o reforço natural de resolver a tarefa parece ter controlado o comportamento dos participantes neste tipo de tarefa.