The Integration of Speaker and Listener Responses: A Theory of Verbal Development

Abstract

We provide an empirically updated Skinnerian-based

A Rose by Naming: How We May Learn How to Do It

“…(p. 238) Although longitudinal studies of typically developing children will be useful, it is experimental analyses of the historical experiential conditions that give rise to Naming per se that are critical. We suggest that the series of experiments, some of which are described in this paper and summarized in Greer andSpeckman (2009), Greer andRoss (2008) and Greer andKeohane (2005/2006) have provided a step toward the agenda set forth by Horne and Lowe (1996) by providing experimental analyses of instructional histories that give rise to Naming and the role of Naming in subsequent development of more sophisticated verbal behavior. Experimental approaches to verbal development, and in this case Naming, require locating (a) typically developing children who have not yet achieved Naming or (b) children with language delays who lack Naming.…”

“…They imply that language is a central function with expressive and receptive qualities, whereas we believe them to be two independently evolved functions that are joined by cultural contingencies. However, after Naming develops, listener and speaker repertoires become joined or integrated in what initially were developmentally independent repertoires (Greer, 2008;Greer & Keohane, 2005Greer & Ross, 2004;Greer & Speckman, 2009;Horne & Lowe, 1996).…”

“…The research we will describe and the related verbal developmental theory (Greer & Speckman, 2009) have focused on the identification of experiences that result in the emergence of Naming as a verbal behavior developmental phenomenon. As we described earlier, the onset of Naming appears to be related to the explosion in vocabulary that occurs at about the age of 3 years, as identified by Hart and Risley's (1995) longitudinal study (pp.…”

“…As mentioned above, a cusp (Rosales-Ruiz & Baer 1996) is a behavioral repertoire that allows children to come in contact with parts of the environment that they could not contact prior to the acquisition of the cusp (e.g., learning to walk or speak). Some cusps also meet the criterion of being a new learning capability, according to Greer and Speckman (2009) and Greer and Ross (2008). After this capability is acquired, a child not only comes into contact with parts of the environment that he or she could not contact before, but he or she also acquires the ability to learn from different forms of contact with the contingencies of reinforcement and punishment.…”

“…Drawing on recent research and the verbal developmental theory (Greer & Ross, 2008;Greer & Speckman, 2009), we build on Horne and Lowe (1996) and Skinner (1957). However, we emphasize an aspect of Naming that seems to have been overlooked.…”