Methods and Findings in an Analysis of a Vocal Operant

Abstract

The relations among acoustic parameters of a vocal operant were considered and some methods for their measurement are described. Four human subjects (Ss) and one chick were employed in an experiment on the relations among vocal rate, vocal topography, and schedules of reinforcement. The earlier finding that schedules of reinforcement control human and infra-human vocal responding as they do other operants was replicated and extended to the case of variableinterval reinforcement. An analysis of response amplitude, pitch, and duration showed that the mean and variance of these parameters typically increase from CRF to VI, from VI to EXT and, for a second group of Ss, from CRF to EXT. The topography of the chick's vocal response appears to stand in the same relation to reinforcement operations as does the human vocal response.Lately, there has been a considerable increase in research in two heretofore unrelated areas: the rate of emission of vocal operants (Flanagan, Goldiamond and Azrin, 1958;Lane, 1960Lane, , 1961 Shearn, Sprague and Rosenzweig, 1961;Starkweather, 1960; Starkweather and Langsley, 1961) and the topographical properties of non-vocal behavior (Goldberg, 1959;Margulies, 1961;Millenson, Hurwitz and Nixon, 1961; Notterman, 1959;Schaefer and Steinhorst, 1959 There is a certain irony, therefore, in observing that the vocal response may be pre-

Programmed Learning of a Second Language

“…Differential reinforcement of vocal responding has rarely been studied in the laboratory; this is particularly regrettable in view of its importance in the acquisition of second-language fluency and the relative ease with which the topography of this behavior may be measured (uide Lane and Shinkman, 1963). A study of shaping vocal duration, reported by Lane (l964 a), illustrates the method and findings in this application.…”

Experimental Analysis of Human Vocal Behavior: Applications of Speech‐recognition Technology

“…Lane, 1960H. Lane, , 1964H. Lane & Shinkman, 1963;Miller, 1968;Routh, 1969;Shearn, Sprague, & Rosenzweig, 1961), dogs (Salzinger, Waller, & Jackson, 1962), monkeys (Leander, Milan, Jasper, & Heaton, 1972), cats (Molliver, 1963), and mynah birds (Hake & Mabry, 1979).…”

SCHEDULE CONTROL OF THE VOCAL BEHAVIOR OF CEBUS MONKEYS1

“…Recent research indicates, however, that the vocalizations of cats (Molliver, 1963), dogs (Salzinger and Waller, 1962), guinea pigs (Burnstein and Wolff, 1967), dolphins (Lilly, 1965), sea lions (Schusterman and Feinstein, 1965), and chicks (Lane, 1960(Lane, , 1961; Lane and Shinkman, 1963) can be modified by responsedependent reinforcement. The conclusions resulting from attempts to gain control of the vocal behavior of non-human primates continue to stress emotional origins and insensitivity to the effects of reinforcement contingencies (Lilly, 1961 (cooing for food, barking in anger, screaming in pain, etc.…”