Someone tells you the name of a good restaurant and you write it down; that is taking dictation. In Skinner’s analysis, taking shorthand (see bottom of page) is not called taking dictation, however, because it lacks the necessary point-to-point correspondence.
A form of verbal behavior with the following features:
The form of the response is writing
The controlling variable is a response product of someone’s prior vocal behavior
There is point-to-point correspondence between the stimulus and the response
Formal and dynamic features of the stimulus
Formal and dynamic features of the response
Whether or not there is reinforcement for the current response
The “meaning” of either the stimulus or the response
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand, a more common method of writing a language.