Which term denotes the ability to respond differently to different stimuli?

Which term denotes the ability to respond differently to different stimuli?

• A. Contingency-Shaped Behavior
• B. Response Discrimination
• C. Stimulus Discrimination
• D. Motivating Operation (MO)

Answer: (B)

The ability to respond differently to different stimuli is stimulus discrimination. This reflects stimulus control: each cue has a distinct reinforcement history, so the organism emits different responses to each cue as appropriate. For example, a red light might signal reinforcement for one response, while a green light signals a different or no reinforcement, leading to different behaviors under each cue. The term response discrimination would imply differentiating between different responses themselves rather than differentiating between stimuli, which isn’t what this question describes. Contingency-shaped behavior focuses on learning from direct reinforcement contingencies, and a motivating operation changes how appealing reinforcement is; neither captures the idea of differentiating between stimuli.

The ability to respond differently to different stimuli is stimulus discrimination. This reflects stimulus control: each cue has a distinct reinforcement history, so the organism emits different responses to each cue as appropriate. For example, a red light might signal reinforcement for one response, while a green light signals a different or no reinforcement, leading to different behaviors under each cue.

The term response discrimination would imply differentiating between different responses themselves rather than differentiating between stimuli, which isn’t what this question describes. Contingency-shaped behavior focuses on learning from direct reinforcement contingencies, and a motivating operation changes how appealing reinforcement is; neither captures the idea of differentiating between stimuli.