Which term describes a request for a specific item or outcome, typically reinforced by obtaining that item?

• A. Mand
• B. Echoic
• C. Tact
• D. Intraverbal

Answer: (A)

A mand is a verbal operant in which a person requests a specific item or outcome, and the request is reinforced by getting that item. The motivation to obtain the item (hunger, thirst, desire) raises the value of the reinforcer, making the request more likely. The reinforcement is the actual item or access to the outcome, not just praise or a response from another person. A common example is a child saying “cookie” to obtain a cookie from a caregiver; the act is controlled by the motivating state and reinforced by receiving the cookie.

This differs from echoic responses (repeating a heard word with point-to-point matching), tact (labeling something in the environment), and intraverbal (conversational speech responding to questions or comments with non-point-to-point relations).