Derived Manding in Children With Autism: Synthesizing Skinner's Verbal Behavior With Relational Frame Theory

Abstract

Mand functions for two stimuli (A1 and A2) were trained for 3 children with autism and were then incorporated into two related conditional discriminations (A1-B1/A2 -B2 and B1-C1/B2-C2). Tests were conducted to probe for a derived transfer of mand response functions from A1 and A2 to C1 and C2, respectively. When 1 participant failed to demonstrate derived transfer of mand response functions, transfer training using exemplars was conducted. When participants had demonstrated derived transfer of mand functions, the X1 and X2 tokens that were employed as reinforcers for mand responses were incorporated into two conditional discriminations (X1-Y1/X2-Y2 and Y1-Z1/Y2-Z2). Tests were conducted for derived transfer of reinforcing functions. Finally, tests were conducted to determine if the participants would demonstrate derived manding for the derived reinforcers (present C1 and C2 to mand for Z1 and Z2, respectively). Derived transfer of functions was observed when the sequence of training and testing was reversed (i.e., training and testing reinforcing functions before mand response functions) and when only minimal instructions were provided.

Establishing Complex Derived Manding with Children with and Without A Diagnosis of Autism

“…Previous studies that have sought to establish derived manding have used the concept known as the derived transfer of functions (Murphy & Barnes-Holmes, 2009a;Murphy & Barnes-Holmes, 2009b;Murphy et al, 2005;Rehfeldt & Root, 2005;Rosales & Rehfeldt, 2007), a behavioral process that is thought to be pervasive throughout natural human language (Hayes, BarnesHolmes, & Roche, 2001). Derived transfer effects are related to the phenomenon known as stimulus equivalence, in which directly acquired relations between a number of stimuli result in the untrained emergence of additional relations, such that each stimulus becomes functionally equivalent to the other (Sidman, 1971).…”

“…We have argued that establishing derived responding in addition to directly reinforced responding may be important in terms of promoting generative and flexible verbal behavior in children with autism, because this population frequently demonstrates excessive behavioral and verbal rigidity (Murphy & Barnes-Holmes, 2009b;Murphy et al, 2005).…”

“…In the first study of the current series (Murphy et al, 2005), a board game required that children mand with one of two nonsense syllables for one of two specific tokens (e.g., blue or yellow). Results showed that all seven children with diagnoses of autism successfully demonstrated what was termed a derived transfer of mand functions (untrained, or "derived," mands).…”

“…Murphy and Barnes-Holmes (2009b) sought to extend the work of Murphy et al (2005) with four children (aged 7-11) diagnosed with autism, and this second study demonstrated two different classes of derived mand, one functioning as a request for "more" and the other as a request for "less." All four participants successfully demonstrated derived more/less manding, and two children showed this derived transfer performance in the absence of any programmed differential consequences.…”

The Selective Impact of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior on Empirical Research: A Reply to Schlinger (2008)

“…Several authors have, for instance, considered extensions and alternatives to Skinner's definition of verbal behavior that take into account the extensive research literature on derived relational responding (e.g., Barnes-Holmes, Barnes-Holmes, & Cullinan, 2000;Chase & Danforth, 1991;Hayes, 1994;Hayes, Barnes-Holmes, & Roche, 2001;Hayes & Hayes, 1989Leigland, 1997Leigland, , 2007. In addition to these important conceptual advances, behavior analysts have also undertaken productive basic and applied research programs that have contributed empirical support for a synthesis of Skinner's taxonomy with contemporary approaches to verbal behavior (e.g., Barnes-Holmes et al, 2000;Barnes-Holmes & Murphy, 2007;Murphy, Barnes-Holmes, & Barnes-Holmes, 2005;Rehfeldt & Root, 2005;Rosales & Rehfeldt, 2007). We believe that occasions such as the 50th anniversary of Verbal Behavior warrant acknowledgment of these developments and the debt of gratitude they owe Skinner's account.…”