Teaching, Expanding, and refining Verbal Behavior.
Is tacting another term for naming? Why or why not? Explain the strategies that can be used to teach tacting.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Understanding Tacting in Verbal Behavior
Is tacting another term for naming? Why or why not?
Tacting is not synonymous with naming, although both involve the verbal behavior of describing or labeling stimuli. Naming typically refers to labeling objects, actions, or concepts based on their inherent properties or functions. In contrast, tacting in the context of verbal behavior theory, as proposed by B.F. Skinner, involves the individual’s ability to describe or comment on stimuli present in the environment. Tacting goes beyond mere labeling and requires the individual to verbalize observations or experiences without the presence of the actual stimulus. Therefore, while naming involves associating labels with stimuli, tacting involves verbalizing one’s immediate surroundings or experiences.
Strategies to teach tacting:
1. Incidental Teaching: This strategy involves capitalizing on naturally occurring opportunities to prompt tact responses. By creating an environment rich in stimuli, educators can prompt learners to tact various objects or experiences as they encounter them in real-time. This method leverages the learner’s natural curiosity and engagement with their surroundings to facilitate tacting skills.
2. Prompting and Shaping: To teach tacting effectively, educators can utilize prompts such as verbal cues, gestures, or visual aids to elicit the desired verbal responses from learners. By gradually fading out prompts and shaping responses towards more independent tacting, individuals can develop their ability to describe and comment on stimuli effectively.
3. Modeling and Reinforcement: Modeling tacting behaviors by providing examples and demonstrations can assist learners in understanding the desired verbal responses. Additionally, reinforcing correct tacting responses through positive feedback, rewards, or praise can motivate individuals to engage in tacting behaviors consistently.
4. Structured Practice Sessions: Implementing structured practice sessions dedicated to tacting specific stimuli or experiences can help learners hone their verbal skills. By providing opportunities for repeated practice and reinforcement, individuals can strengthen their tacting abilities over time.
By utilizing a combination of these strategies tailored to individual learning styles and needs, educators can effectively teach, expand, and refine tacting skills in individuals, fostering enhanced verbal behavior and communication abilities.
