In operant conditioning, the tendency of a response to occur in the presence of one stimulus but not in the presence of another similar stimulus that differs from it on some dimension is called ________.
A) stimulus generalization
B) stimulus discrimination
C) intermittent reinforcement
D) partial reinforcement

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stimulus discrimination refers to the ability to distinguish between similar but distinct stimuli and respond differently to them. This is important for learning and adapting to new situations. Stimulus generalization, on the other hand, occurs when a response is elicited by stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus. Intermittent reinforcement and partial reinforcement refer to different schedules of reinforcement, where behavior is reinforced only occasionally or partially rather than every time.

In Operant Conditioning, the Tendency of a Response to Occur