Verbal mediating responses: effects on generalization of say-do correspondence and noncorrespondence.
Have the child repeat their plan out loud to boost follow-through when you reinforce say-do correspondence.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked people to repeat their own plan out loud. Some repeated the exact promise they just made. Others said random numbers instead.
The goal was to see if this quick verbal step would help the person later do what they said. The study tested both keep-your-word cases and break-your-word cases.
What they found
Repeating the promise sped up learning and spread the skill to new settings when keeping the word earned praise.
Repeating random numbers did the same thing, but only when breaking the word earned praise. The right repeat matched the right rule.
How this fits with other research
Baer et al. (1984) already showed that delayed praise keeps preschoolers’ words and actions in line. Laura et al. add a cheap tool: have the child echo the plan first.
Dressel et al. (2019) seem to disagree. They blocked kids from talking to themselves and still saw learning. The key gap: Amelia studied brand-new skills; Laura studied keeping or breaking a promise. Talking helps promises, not facts.
MOLLIVER (1963) first proved the idea with rats. A lever press between delays sharpened timing. Laura moves the lever into the mouth: a spoken phrase becomes the bridge.
Why it matters
You can add a five-second echo step to any self-management plan. Before a client starts a task, ask, “What will you do?” Then have them repeat their answer aloud. Match the repeat to the contingency you are teaching: echo the plan for correspondence, echo something neutral for noncorrespondence. It costs nothing and may boost both learning and carry-over.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We analyzed the effects of verbal mediating responses on the acquisition and generalization of say-do correspondence and noncorrespondence. Participants were assigned to groups in which either reinforcers (feedback and tokens) were arranged for say-do correspondence and noncorrespondence, or no reinforcers were programmed. Participants in these groups were further subdivided into groups in which they were required to repeat what was said previously, were required to repeat random numbers, or no verbalizations were required. When correspondence was reinforced, repetition of what was said produced greater acquisition and generalization of correspondence. When noncorrespondence was reinforced, repetition of numbers facilitated acquisition and generalization of noncorrespondence. Verbal mediating responses interacted with contingencies of reinforcement in determining acquisition and generalization of correspondence and noncorrespondence.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2010 · doi:10.1901/jaba.2010.43-411