Which verbal operant is described as labeling or describing objects or events?

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

Answer: (D)

Labeling or describing objects or events is the tact. A tact is a verbal response that names or describes something in the environment and is evoked by a nonverbal stimulus (what you see or experience) and reinforced by social acknowledgment or praise. When you see a dog and say “dog,” you are tacting: you attach a label to the observed stimulus. Other verbal operants work differently: a mand is a request driven by a motivating state (like thirst or need), and is reinforced by obtaining the item; an echoic repeats a spoken word you heard with exact sound matching; an intraverbal responds to other words in a conversation and may not directly label the object but rather fits into a verbal dialogue. So labeling fits best because it directly describes the thing in the environment rather than requesting, repeating, or responding within a verbal exchange.