A few days ago, Wendy got a speeding ticket on a highway behind Superior College. This morning, on her way to College, on the same stretch of the road where she had received the speeding ticket, Wendy immediately slowed down and checked her speedometer when she saw the flashing lights of a security vehicle. The security vehicle reminded her of the police car from the day she got the ticket. This is an example of _____________.
A)spontaneous recovery
B)extinction
C)stimulus generalization
D)stimulus discrimination

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Wendy's reaction to the security vehicle's flashing lights, which are similar to the police car's lights that led to her receiving a speeding ticket, is an example of stimulus generalization. This occurs when a response is elicited by stimuli that are similar but not identical to the original stimulus associated with the response. In this case, the flashing lights of any vehicle (the similar stimulus) reminded her of the police car's lights (the original stimulus), causing her to slow down.

A Few Days Ago, Wendy Got a Speeding Ticket on a Highway