Echoicย is a type of verbal operant in which the form of the vocal responseAย responseย is a single occurrence or instance of aย behavi... More matches the form of the verbal stimulusStimulusย is defined as any change in the environment or for... More. It occurs when a speaker repeats a verbal stimulus that they hear. The echoicย behaviorย is under the functionalย controlย of an auditory verbalย discriminative stimulus (SD). Echoicย behaviorย is crucial in language development, as it allows for the repetition of words and sounds, enabling individuals to learn through imitation. Reinforcement typically follows the echoic response, helping to shape and strengthen accurate verbal imitations.
Example
A therapist says the word โapple,โ and the child immediately repeats โapple.โ This repetition of the spoken word is anย echoicย response. The childโs response is controlled by the auditory SD (the therapist saying โappleโ), and the form of the response (the vocalization) matches the stimulus. In teaching, echoicย behaviorย is often reinforced with praise or other rewards to promote accurate speech development.