What term describes behavior that is elicited by a specific stimulus?

What term describes behavior that is elicited by a specific stimulus?

• A. Reflex
• B. Respondent
• C. Baseline
• D. Three-Term Contingency

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is the classification of behavior that is triggered by a specific antecedent stimulus. Behaviors in this category are elicited automatically by the stimulus and are typically involuntary. In the context of behavior analysis, this is called respondent behavior. A classic example is salivation in response to a bell after Pavlovian conditioning—the bell acts as the stimulus that elicits the response, which is the salivation. While a reflex is a kind of automatic, stimulus-elicited response, the broader label that covers all such elicited responses is respondent behavior. The other options aren’t about the type of behavior elicited by a stimulus: a baseline is a measurement level before an intervention, and a three-term contingency describes the antecedent–behavior–consequence framework for operant behavior, not the automatic elicitation of responses by stimuli.

The main concept here is the classification of behavior that is triggered by a specific antecedent stimulus. Behaviors in this category are elicited automatically by the stimulus and are typically involuntary. In the context of behavior analysis, this is called respondent behavior. A classic example is salivation in response to a bell after Pavlovian conditioning—the bell acts as the stimulus that elicits the response, which is the salivation.

While a reflex is a kind of automatic, stimulus-elicited response, the broader label that covers all such elicited responses is respondent behavior. The other options aren’t about the type of behavior elicited by a stimulus: a baseline is a measurement level before an intervention, and a three-term contingency describes the antecedent–behavior–consequence framework for operant behavior, not the automatic elicitation of responses by stimuli.