Skinner defines listener behaviour as behaviour that is evoked by a speaker. He then goes on to say that listeners behaviour is not verbal in any way. However he defines verbal behaviour as behaviour that is reinforced through mediation of other persons within the practices of the verbal community.

My question is, if listener behaviour is behaviour that is provoked through a speaker, the provoked behaviour must need to be reinforced through the mediation of the speaker or else the listener would have no motivation to behave. Therefore this would render the listeners behaviour as verbal. However Skinner believes this is not verbal. Why?

I thought that it may be because the listener becomes a speaker therefore this would be his defintion of verbal behaviour however he states that verbal behaviour is behaviour that has been provoked by the speaker.

Anyone have any ideas on this?