Which verbal operant involves labeling items or events that are present?

The correct answer is indeed the tact. A tact is a verbal operant that occurs when a speaker labels or identifies items, events, or conditions in their environment that are present and observable. This verbal behavior is often prompted by the presence of a stimulus and results in an acknowledgment or a comment about that stimulus. For example, if a child sees a dog and says "dog," they are engaging in a tact because they are labeling something they see.

In contrast, the other verbal operants have different functions. A mand refers to a request or command made by an individual, typically involving the desire for a specific item or action. An intraverbal involves the response to another person's verbal behavior, allowing for conversation and dialogue but not tied to the direct labeling of present stimuli. Finally, an echoic is when an individual repeats or imitates the speech of another person, which is based on auditory stimuli rather than the act of labeling something seen or experienced. Understanding the distinctions between these operants helps clarify the functional use of language in behavior analytic contexts.