Responding differently to different stimuli as a result of experience with those stimuli is called what?

Responding differently to different stimuli as a result of experience with those stimuli is called what?

• A. Generalization
• B. Discrimination
• C. Stimulus control
• D. Shaping

Answer: (B)

Discrimination is the ability to respond differently to different stimuli based on experience with those stimuli. This happens when one cue consistently predicts a consequence (like reinforcement) and another cue does not, so the organism learns to tailor its responses to each cue. For example, a dog can learn that a specific bell tone is followed by food and will drool to that tone, while a different tone without the food cue elicits a different or no response. This is different from generalization, where similar stimuli provoke similar responses because the organism treats them alike. It’s also not about stimulus control or shaping, which involve how a behavior is elicited by a stimulus or how a new behavior is built through successive reinforcement, respectively.

Discrimination is the ability to respond differently to different stimuli based on experience with those stimuli. This happens when one cue consistently predicts a consequence (like reinforcement) and another cue does not, so the organism learns to tailor its responses to each cue. For example, a dog can learn that a specific bell tone is followed by food and will drool to that tone, while a different tone without the food cue elicits a different or no response. This is different from generalization, where similar stimuli provoke similar responses because the organism treats them alike. It’s also not about stimulus control or shaping, which involve how a behavior is elicited by a stimulus or how a new behavior is built through successive reinforcement, respectively.