The Effect of Instructive Feedback on the Emergence of Verbal Behavior

Instructive feedback (IF) involves the presentation of additional, non-target stimuli during discrete trial teaching procedures (Wolery et al., 1993) and has been shown to improve instructional efficiency for some, but not all, learners. Recent research has examined learner characteristics and instructional contexts necessary to learn from IF. This study evaluated the effects of IF on the emergence of untaught verbal operants in typically developing children. A naming assessment was conducted to evaluate the presence of bidirectional naming (BiN). An alternating treatment design was used to compare a control condition, a primary-only condition, and a primary + IF condition during which the IF statement was presented using an intermittent schedule. Two participants demonstrated bidirectional naming and one demonstrated unidirectional naming. Although participants. Although participants with BiN showed some acquisition of secondary targets, not all targets emerged, suggesting that a BiN repertoire may be necessary but insufficient for learning through IF procedures.