Final answer:
BF Skinner described verbal behavior as a result of operant conditioning affected by reinforcement and punishment, much like behaviors studied within a Skinner box. His theories on language acquisition suggest that positive consequences encourage repetition, influencing how children learn to communicate.
Step-by-step explanation:
BF Skinner described verbal behavior as a form of operant conditioning that is influenced by reinforcement and punishment. Skinner's view on verbal behavior suggested that children learn language through the consequences they receive for their speech, akin to Thorndike's law of effect, which proposes that behaviors followed by positive consequences are more likely to be repeated. Skinner developed the concept of the operant conditioning chamber, or Skinner box, where he systematically studied how behavior is modified by its consequences.
For example, when a young child says "me juice" and receives apple juice from his mother, the child's simple request has been positively reinforced, making it more likely that the child will repeat the request in the future. Skinner believed that all behaviors, including thoughts and emotions, could be explained through basic physical factors such as operant conditioning.
Despite some criticism from scholars like Noam Chomsky, who argued for an innate capacity for language acquisition, current research supports the idea that language learning is a combination of innate ability and learning through environmental interactions. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior laid an important foundation for understanding how language is developed and shaped by reinforcement.