What function does an echoic serve in verbal operants?

An echoic serves as a verbal operant characterized primarily by the act of repeating what someone else has said. In this context, when an individual produces a verbal response that exactly matches the verbal input they have just heard, they are demonstrating an echoic. This process plays an important role in language development, as it allows individuals to practice pronunciation, intonation, and the rhythm of speech while effectively mimicking the speaker.

The other options involve different verbal operants: questioning is associated with the act of seeking information rather than repetition, responding to a request indicates a discriminative response to an antecedent, and labeling refers to identifying or naming objects rather than merely repeating the words of another. Thus, the echoic specifically relates to the act of verbal imitation, making it a distinct and essential component in understanding verbal behavior.