Reinforcement of verbal behavior.

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Abstract
Three groups of 18 subjects (ss) received zero, "low," and "high" rates of reinforcement while talking about 3 photographic slides depicting interpersonal situations. The reinforcement stimulus (RS) was presented at variable intervals. Its relationship to the verbal responses of the Ss was disguised. Total verbal responses of each S to all slides were recorded and analyzed as the dependent variable. The results support the following major conclusions: (1) The reinforcement operation influenced rates of responding to the referents. (2) Differential rates of reinforcement had distinct effects upon rates of responding. The higher rate of reinforcement had a greater facilitating effect. (3) The reinforcement operation may be effective when S is not aware of the contingency between RS and the behavior to which it is related. (4) Amount of talk about the same referential stimuli varies as a function of the sequence and the position within the sequence in which they are presented.
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