Day 2: The Generalization of Tacts belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter language assessment, teaching sessions, caregiver coaching, and natural communication routines. In The Generalization of Tacts, for this course, the practical stakes show up in clearer case conceptualization, better instructional targets, and stronger generalization, not in abstract discussion alone.
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Join Free →The tact is a type of verbal operant whose response form is under control of a non-verbal discriminative stimulus (SD). It seems to explain how we come to talk about or refer to the world around us. Tacts are seldom taught directly, rather they emerge as a product of listening to others talk about objects and events. Even though the topography of the tact is under functional control of a non-verbal SD, many discriminative and motivational variables may contribute to the emission of the response. Thus, the generalization of tacts can occur across variables responsible for its form (what is said) and variables responsible for its emission (when it is said). Additionally, the same non-verbal SD may evoke new tact topographies - a form of response generalization. The purpose of talk is to distinguish between different types of tact generalization, while describing the implications for practice.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
Dr. Caio Miguel is a Professor of Psychology at California State University, Sacramento. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, a former Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and a former editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Dr. Miguel's research focuses on the study of verbal behavior and emergent stimulus relations. He has given hundreds of professional presentations around the world, and has had over 100 manuscripts published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. He is the recipient of the 2013 award for outstanding scholarly work by the College of Social Sciences at Sacramento State, the 2014 Outstanding Mentor Award by ABAI, the 2019 Award for Excellence in Teaching Verbal Behavior by the VBSIG, the 2019 Alumni Achievement Award from the Department of Psychology at Western Michigan University, the 2020 Jack Michael Award for Outstanding Contributions to Verbal Behavior, and the 2026 Don Hake Award for Translational Research by Division 25 of the American Psychological Association.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
188 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.