title: Infant sign training and functional analysis.
abstract: We taught manual signs to typically developing infants using a reversal design and caregiver-nominated stimuli. We delivered the stimuli on a time-based schedule during baseline. During the intervention, we used progressive prompting and reinforcement, described by Thompson et al. (2004, 2007), to establish mands. Following sign training, we conducted functional analyses and verified that the signs functioned as mands. These results provide preliminary validation for the verbal behavior functional analysis methodology and further evidence of the functional independence of verbal operants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California 95211, USA. mnormand@pacific.edu
authors.forename: Matthew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Normand
authors.forename: Mychal A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hustyi
authors.forename: Allison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Morley
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012813:Sign Language; D013663:Teaching; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*