What is the purpose of a tact?

The purpose of a tact is to label objects or events based on nonverbal stimuli, which means it involves verbal behavior that corresponds directly to what is being observed in the environment. This type of verbal behavior allows an individual to name things and share observations about their surroundings with others, facilitating communication and social interaction.

When someone tacts, they typically do so in relation to their immediate environment, drawing on sensory experiences and expressions of what they perceive. For example, if someone sees a dog and says "dog," they are tacting because they are communicating what they are observing based on visual stimuli. This process is foundational in language development and helps in building a shared understanding between individuals.

In contrast, expressing emotions without a listener, mandating specific actions, or evoking responses with verbal cues serve different communicative needs and functions within behavior analysis and language use. Each of those other options addresses different aspects of verbal behavior, but none fulfill the specific role of a tact, which is fundamentally about labeling and sharing observations based on immediate sensory input.