Taylor, I., & O'Reilly, M. F. (1997).
Toward a functional analysis of private verbal self-regulation.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
30, 43-58.
We developed a methodology, derived from the theoretical
literatures on rule-governed behavior and private events, to
experimentally investigate the relationship between covert verbal
self-regulation and nonverbal behavior. The methodology was
designed to assess whether (a) nonverbal behavior was under the
control of covert rules and (b) verbal reports of these rules
were functionally equivalent to the covert rules that control
nonverbal behavior. The research was conducted in the context of
teaching shopping skills to persons with mild intellectual
disabilities using a s elf-instruction training format. In Phase
1, 4 participants were successfully taught to perform shopping
skills using overt and covert self-instructions. The
self-instructions were then blocked under overt and covert
self-instruction conditions, which resulted in a reversal of
shopping skills to baseline levels. This indicated that the overt
and covert self-instructions might be controlling responding. In
Phase 2, we demonstrated that the self-instructions, when used as
external directives, produced successful shopping with 3 other
participants. By demonstrating that self-rules can produce
correct responding when used as external directives, we were more
confident that it was the self-instructions and not other verbal
or nonverbal behavior that controlled responding under overt,
covert, and blocking conditions in Phase 1.
DESCRIPTORS: self-instruction, self-regulation, private events,
functionalanalysis, mild disabilities, rule-governed behavior