Vocal imitation evoked by an antecedent verbal stimulus is called which verbal operant?

Vocal imitation evoked by an antecedent verbal stimulus is called which verbal operant?

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

Answer: (C)

Echoic is the verbal operant where a vocal imitation is evoked by a verbal stimulus. When someone says a word or phrase and you repeat it exactly, your response mirrors the sound of what you heard, showing point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity (both are vocal). That direct imitative relation is what defines an echoic. This differs from a mand, which is a request driven by a need or desire; a tact, which labels objects or events in the environment; and an intraverbal, which answers questions or conversations without merely echoing the exact sounds of the stimulus.

Echoic is the verbal operant where a vocal imitation is evoked by a verbal stimulus. When someone says a word or phrase and you repeat it exactly, your response mirrors the sound of what you heard, showing point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity (both are vocal). That direct imitative relation is what defines an echoic.

This differs from a mand, which is a request driven by a need or desire; a tact, which labels objects or events in the environment; and an intraverbal, which answers questions or conversations without merely echoing the exact sounds of the stimulus.