The Establishment of Incidental Bidirectional Naming through Multiple Exemplar Instruction: a Systematic Replication
When naming probes stall, add rapid speaker-listener rotation to finish building bidirectional naming.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kim et al. (2023) worked with nine preschool and early-elementary children who had autism or language delays. The team first gave daily naming probes: show a picture, ask 'What is this?' then ask the child to point to the same item from an array.
When probes alone did not create bidirectional naming, the therapists added mixed-operant instruction. In one trial block the child would say the name; in the next block the child would point to the item. The blocks switched back and forth quickly.
What they found
Every child reached the mastery criterion for incidental bidirectional naming. Listener responses held steady one month later, but tact responses dropped a little.
Adding the mixed-operant rotation was the key move when simple probing stalled.
How this fits with other research
Salomonsen et al. (2024) extend this work. They used Serial Multiple Exemplar Training, teaching one picture at a time instead of rapid speaker-listener switches. Both studies show multiple-exemplar methods work; the 2024 paper offers a slower-paced option if rapid rotation feels too intense.
Ptomey et al. (2021) did a computer version of multiple-exemplar training. Their Mandarin-speaking preschoolers also gained bidirectional naming, proving the method works on screen. Kim et al. (2023) add the twist of live, rapid mixed-operant blocks for kids who need extra help after basic probing.
Carnerero et al. (2014) used simple observational pairing: watch the picture, hear the name. That worked too, but only for some children. The 2023 probe-plus-MOI package gives a clearer, stepwise protocol when pairing alone is not enough.
Why it matters
If you run naming probes and the child is stuck, do not keep probing forever. Insert mixed-operant instruction: one trial the child says the name, next trial the child points to the item, repeat fast. Most kids master the emergent repertoire within a few sessions, and listener gains stick around for at least a month. It is a quick, low-prep boost you can start Monday morning.
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Join Free →Run three quick probe trials; if the child fails, switch to five rapid speaker trials then five listener trials and keep alternating.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The primary purpose of the present experiment was to explore the extent to which repeated probing contributes to the establishment of incidental bidirectional naming (Inc-BiN). Whenever repetitive probes alone did not suffice to establish Inc-BiN, we investigated whether mixed-operant instuction (MOI)--the rapid rotation of operants within each of a series of trial blocks--improved Inc-BiN. Nine children with autism or language delays aged 3-6 participated. Three of nine participants were exposed to an extended-baseline condition, while the remaining six were exposed to one of two brief-baseline conditions before MOI. We used a multiple probe design across three novel stimulus sets, to isolate the effects of repeated probing. During post-MOI Inc-BiN probes, all participants across conditions demonstrated the emergence of Inc-BiN. Repetitive probes sufficed to establish Inc-BiN in two of three participants who were assigned to the extended-baseline condition, while for the third, Inc-BiN improved after MOI. In addition, we examined the extent to which the probe sequence impacted Inc-BiN skills. Three participants, P1, P2, and P3, were exposed to speaker (tacts) probes first, while the remaining six were exposed to listener probes first. During generative Inc-BiN probes, when testing speaker responses before listener responses (P1-P3), only listener responses emerged for two of them. In contrast, when testing listener before speaker responses, both repertoires were observed for three (P4, P5, and P7) of six participants. A one-month follow-up Inc-BiN probe demonstrated maintenance of listener responses for seven of eight participants, and tacts were maintained for three of them.
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40616-023-00181-4