| Abstract: Comparing conditioned motivating operations within uninterrupted and interrupted behavior chains may further elucidate relevant controlling variables in abstract manding and tact-mand transfer. A well-learned behavior chain may proceed unimpeded, be interrupted briefly pending an additional response, or be interrupted in a true “problem situation” (Skinner, 1953, p. 246). When a nonverbal chain is uninterrupted, successive CMOs (i.e., CEO-Ts) occur without evoking manding or problem solving. When the chain is briefly interrupted but the individual is a fluent mander and an audience is present, simultaneous CEO-Ts and CEO-Rs may evoke manding in a slightly lengthened chain. If the individual lacks a manding repertoire, however, chain interruption may constitute a true “problem situation”. If the object needed to perform a chain step is missing, scanning for that item is under extinction and a strong response cannot be emitted, which may enhance the strength of the CEO-R. Whether or not chain interruption constitutes a problem situation, the simultaneous presence of CEO-T and CEO-R may yield a sudden increase in motivation. Like the saltation in response strength in joint stimulus control (cf., Palmer, 2006), this may be a discriminable event that plays an essential role in manding and possible bridging behavior in “tact-mand transfer”. |
| Target Audience: Audience members should be able to describe essential elements of the MO concept, including conditioned MOs, define a behavior chain, define the elementary verbal operants, and describe the phenomenon of tact-mand transfer. |