SKINNER: verbal behavior According to Skinner, spoken language not only facilitates communication, but shows emotions, transmits ideas and can incite action (Diessner, 2008). Speech can be considered an active behavior because it can have physical effects on people, both the speaker and the audience. BF Skinner and his study of operant conditioning based on negative or positive responses to behavior were extremely instrumental in the behavioral movement (Diessner, 2008). Many of us learn from our experiences. For example, while I was an undergraduate at Ball State, I started a grease fire in the kitchen and attempted to put it out. Unfortunately I must have missed the lesson on how not to put out a grease fire with water. Diessner (2008) states that “verbal responses are classified as requests, commands, permissions, and so on, depending on the listener's reasons for responding, reasons often attributed to the speaker's intentions or moods” (p .134). I have seen this to be true because, working as a social worker with individuals with developmental disabilities, I have encouraged our staff to make requests rather than demands when wanting an individual to perform a certain task. This behavior is not only respectful and polite, but often leads the individual to respond favorably. Diessner (2008) states that “a concept is simply a feature of a set of contingencies that exist in the world, and is simply discovered in perceiving that the contingencies bring behavior under one's control” (p.136). As part of substance abuse treatment, hearing an advertisement, song, or conversation about alcohol can trigger or entice the alcoholic to begin craving or obsessing over a drink. Diessner (2008) continues...... middle of paper...... are considered sacred and untouchable, emanate from adults and last forever. Around the age of 7-8 the desire for mutual understanding in the context of play appears. Children in the third stage (7 to 10) do not yet know the rules in detail. The child begins to think logically about objects, situations, categories and concrete principles in his life. Stage four children, on the other hand, have completely mastered their code. Finally, between 11 and 12 years old, the fourth phase appears, that is, that of the codification of rules (Diessner, 2008). The child begins to think logically about objects, situations, categories and concrete principles in his life. 12 Through adulthood, called the formal operations phase, children begin to detach themselves from concrete objects and form their own opinions and their possible variations (Diessner, 2008).