Which verbal operant is evoked by a verbal SD that does NOT have point-to-point correspondence with the stimulus?

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

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how the verbal stimulus controls the response and whether the response repeats the stimulus. An echoic response duplicates the exact words of the spoken prompt (point‑to‑point correspondence). When the prompt is verbal but the response is not a direct echo—it's a different word or phrase that fits the context—that’s an intraverbal. For example, if someone asks, “What color is the sky?” and the reply is “Blue,” the response does not imitate the prompt's words, even though it’s still a verbal exchange. That non-echoic verbal interaction is intraverbal. The other operants involve different relationships: a tact labels something perceived, a mand is a request driven by a need or MO, and an echoic requires exact repetition.