When 4-year-old Aileen goes to the store with her dad and whines for candy at the checkout, she gets the candy. When she goes with her mom, however, her whining never results in getting candy. Before long, Aileen only whines when she is at the store with her dad. This is called ________.
A) successive approximation
B) stimulus discrimination
C) continuous reinforcement
D) stimulus generalization

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stimulus discrimination is the ability to differentiate between similar stimuli and respond accordingly. In this scenario, Aileen is able to discriminate between the presence of her dad versus her mom at the store and adjust her behavior accordingly (whining for candy only with her dad).

When 4-Year-Old Aileen Goes to the Store with Her Dad