When a child says "Mama" as a request, what type of verbal operant is this?

The term used to describe a verbal operant that functions as a request is a "mand." When a child says "Mama" specifically to ask for something, such as attention, help, or a specific item associated with "Mama," this communicates a need or desire. This type of verbal operant is distinct because it is driven by a motivating factor or need, which leads the child to express that wish through language.

In this instance, we see that the child is directing their communication towards fulfilling a specific intention rather than simply labeling or repeating what they have heard. This distinguishes the mand from other verbal operants like tact, which involves labeling or identifying something in the environment, and intraverbals, which are responses involving conversation or dialogue without a direct correlation to a specific item being requested. The echoic verbal operant, on the other hand, involves repetition of what has been heard without any associated context or request, which is not applicable here. Thus, "Mama" as a request clearly exemplifies a mand.