THE TACT
• VERBAL BEHAVIOR UNDER CONTROL OF
DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULI: THE PRESENCE OF AN
OBJECT OR EVENT INCREASES THE PROBABILITY
OF A VERBAL RESPONSE OF A GIVEN FORM.
In the presence of a cat, we are more likely to say “cat.”
But what about “self tacting”? How do we come to talk
about feeling states, memories, etc.
VERBAL BEHAVIOR and PRIVATE
EVENTS
THE “PROBLEM” OF
CONSCIOUSNESS AND A SELFDESCRIPTIVE REPERTOIRE.
“…IT IS THE COMMUNITY THAT
TEACHES THE INDIVIDUAL TO
‘KNOW HIMSELF’”
HOW DO WE DEAL WITH PRIVATE EVENTS?
• Assumption: The private world is not made
of different “stuff.”
• But there are two problems for a scientific
account: (1) private events not directly
observable, and (2) how does the verbal
community establish tacting of such
events?
THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR WAYS
“My tooth hurts!”
1.
2.
3.
4.
Common public accompaniment
A collateral response
A metaphorical extension
A shift in magnitude of the response
WHY DOES BEHAVIOR BECOME COVERT?
1.
Self-description useful to the listener.
2.
Controlling variables may be weak.
3.
Magnitude may decrease if still effective for the
speaker (as listener).
4.
Overt verbal behavior may be punished.
5.
Malingering.