Which term is the occurrence of a new response similar to a learned response?

Which term is the occurrence of a new response similar to a learned response?

• A. Stimulus Generalization
• B. Behavior Contrast
• C. Response Generalization
• D. Contingency-Shaped Behavior

Answer: (C)

The main idea is response generalization. After you reinforce a learned response, behaviors that are topographically similar to that response can occur even without being specifically trained, because the organism emits variations within the same response class. For example, if a learner is reinforced for a particular gesture or movement, similar gestures or slight variations may also appear and be reinforced if they produce the same effect. This differs from stimulus generalization, where the same response appears to different stimuli; here the focus is on new responses that resemble the trained one. Other concepts describe different phenomena: stimulus generalization concerns responding to similar stimuli, behavior contrast involves changes in one behavior when reinforcement changes in another context, and contingency-shaped behavior is learned directly from the consequences rather than following a rule. So the term for new responses that look like the learned response is response generalization.

The main idea is response generalization. After you reinforce a learned response, behaviors that are topographically similar to that response can occur even without being specifically trained, because the organism emits variations within the same response class. For example, if a learner is reinforced for a particular gesture or movement, similar gestures or slight variations may also appear and be reinforced if they produce the same effect. This differs from stimulus generalization, where the same response appears to different stimuli; here the focus is on new responses that resemble the trained one. Other concepts describe different phenomena: stimulus generalization concerns responding to similar stimuli, behavior contrast involves changes in one behavior when reinforcement changes in another context, and contingency-shaped behavior is learned directly from the consequences rather than following a rule. So the term for new responses that look like the learned response is response generalization.