Mands
Chapter Three of Skinner's work Verbal Behavior discusses a functional relationship called the "mand". A mand is a form of verbal behavior that is controlled by deprivation, satiation, or what is now called motivating operations (MO) as well as a controlling history. An example of this would be asking for water when one is water deprived ("thirsty"). It is tempting to say that a mand "describes its reinforcer" which it sometimes does, but mands may have no correspondence to the reinforcer, for example a loud knock may be a mand "open the door" and a servant may be called by a hand clap as much as a child might "ask for milk".
The Lamarre & Holland (1985) study on mands would be one example of a research study in this area.
Read more about this topic: Verbal Behavior