What is a cue used to elicit a response, primarily verbal?

The correct answer is a discriminative stimulus. A discriminative stimulus is a specific cue that signals the availability of reinforcement for a particular behavior, primarily in a verbal context. This means that when an individual observes a discriminative stimulus, they are more likely to engage in the behavior that has been reinforced in the past when that stimulus was present.

In therapeutic or educational settings, a discriminative stimulus can be used to encourage verbal responses from individuals, as it indicates that their response will be met with reinforcement or feedback. This strategy is commonly employed to teach communication skills or to enhance verbal interactions in various populations, including those with developmental disorders.

The other choices, while related to behavior and cues, either do not specifically refer to the verbal nature of the response or do not encapsulate the concept of signaling for reinforcement effectively, which is essential for understanding the function of a discriminative stimulus.