The tendency for a response to be elicited by similar stimuli is called what?

The tendency for a response to be elicited by similar stimuli is called what?

• A. Stimulus Generalization
• B. Response Discrimination
• C. Behavior Contrast
• D. Token Economy

Answer: (A)

When a learned response tends to occur to stimuli that resemble the original one, we’re dealing with stimulus generalization. After conditioning, the organism doesn’t just react to the exact stimulus; similar cues also trigger the response, though usually with less strength as they become less like the original. For example, a dog trained to salivate to a specific bell tone may also salivate to tones that are close to that frequency. This happens because stimuli that share features with the original are treated similarly, creating a generalization gradient where response strength tapers off as similarity decreases. This concept differs from discrimination, where the organism learns to distinguish between similar stimuli and respond only to the exact one. Token economy and behavior contrast involve different behavioral processes or reinforcement systems, not the generalization of a response to similar stimuli.

When a learned response tends to occur to stimuli that resemble the original one, we’re dealing with stimulus generalization. After conditioning, the organism doesn’t just react to the exact stimulus; similar cues also trigger the response, though usually with less strength as they become less like the original. For example, a dog trained to salivate to a specific bell tone may also salivate to tones that are close to that frequency. This happens because stimuli that share features with the original are treated similarly, creating a generalization gradient where response strength tapers off as similarity decreases. This concept differs from discrimination, where the organism learns to distinguish between similar stimuli and respond only to the exact one. Token economy and behavior contrast involve different behavioral processes or reinforcement systems, not the generalization of a response to similar stimuli.