Which term is a functional class of verbal behavior?

• A. Echoic
• B. Escape
• C. Attention
• D. Tangible

Answer: (A)

Functional classes of verbal behavior are defined by the function a verbal response serves rather than its form. Echoic is one such class because it describes a verbal operant where the speaker repeats exactly what another person has said, with point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity between the stimulus and the response. The key idea is that the function of this behavior is to imitate the spoken model, and it is reinforced in a way that maintains that echoing behavior.

The other terms relate to the purposes a mand might serve, such as requesting to escape a task, gaining attention, or obtaining a tangible item. While these can be functions of mands, they do not describe a distinct verbal operant category like echoic. They are about the reinforcement or outcome of a mand, not about a verbal behavior defined by its form and ecological function as an echo.