When Bobby was little, his mother used to tell him, "Be polite," and then slap him. As an adult, Bobby feels anxious whenever he overhears a mother tell her child, "Say thank you." This scenario is an example of
A) stimulus discrimination.
B) spontaneous recovery.
C) semantic generalization.
D) semantic recovery.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of semantic generalization because Bobby's anxiety response has generalized from the specific phrase his mother used ("Be polite") to a similar, but not identical, phrase ("Say thank you"). Semantic generalization occurs when a response spreads from one specific stimulus to other stimuli that are similar in meaning.

When Bobby Was Little, His Mother Used to Tell Him