Chapter 8 Part 2: Stimulus Control and Discrimination

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering stimulus control, generalization gradients, discrimination training, behavioral contrast, and related operant conditioning concepts from Chapter 8.

Discriminative stimulus ($S^D$)

A stimulus in the presence of which responses are reinforced and in the absence of which they are not reinforced; that is, a stimulus that signals the availability of reinforcement.

Discriminative stimulus for extinction ($S^{\Delta}$)

A stimulus that signals the absence of reinforcement.

Discriminative stimulus for punishment ($S^{Dp}$)

A stimulus that signals that a response will be punished.

Escape Behavior

A behavior that will result in the termination of an aversive stimulus (for example, taking aspirin to eliminate a headache).

Stimulus control

A situation in which the presence of a discriminative stimulus reliably affects the probability of a behavior.

Stimulus generalization

In operant conditioning, the tendency for an operant response to be emitted in the presence of a stimulus that is similar to an $S^D$.

Stimulus discrimination

In operant conditioning, the tendency for an operant response to be emitted more in the presence of one stimulus (usually the $S^D$) than another.

Generalization gradient

A measure of the strength of responding in the presence of stimuli that are similar to the $S^D$ and vary along a continuum.

Discrimination training

As applied to operant conditioning, the differential reinforcement of responding in the presence of one stimulus (the $S^D$) and not another.

Multiple schedule

A complex schedule consisting of two or more independent schedules presented in sequence, each resulting in reinforcement and each having a distinctive $S^D$.

Behavioral contrast

A phenomenon that occurs when a change in the rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces an opposite change in the rate of response on another component.

Negative contrast effect

A contrast effect where an increase in the rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces a decrease in the rate of response on the other component.

Positive contrast effect

A contrast effect where a decrease in the rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces an increase in the rate of response on the other component.

Anticipatory contrast

The process whereby the rate of response varies inversely with an upcoming ("anticipated") change in the rate of reinforcement.

Peak shift effect

The phenomenon where, following discrimination training, the peak of a generalization gradient shifts from the $S^D$ to a stimulus that is further removed from the $S^{\Delta}$.

Errorless discrimination training

A discrimination training procedure that minimizes the number of errors and reduces many of the adverse effects associated with discrimination training, typically by introducing $S^{\Delta}$ early and using fading.

Fading

The process of gradually altering the intensity of a stimulus.

Targeting

A stimulus control procedure in which an animal or person is trained to touch a particular object, such as a stick, allowing the handler to guide movement by moving the object.

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

A reinforcement strategy used to reduce or eliminate an unwanted behavior and manage behavioral excess by reinforcing the non-occurrence of that behavior.