ch7 stimulus control
Chapter 7: Stimulus Control, Discrimination & Generalization
I. Stimulus Control
Definition: The concept of stimulus control refers to how behavior is affected by specific antecedent stimuli, which influences the likelihood of that behavior occurring in similar circumstances.
Key Points:
The effects of reinforcement, extinction, and punishment are relatively situation-specific, meaning they depend on the presence of specific antecedents.
Examples of Situation-Specific Control:
Saying “I love you” when a spouse is present.
Asking a teacher to extend a deadline when face-to-face.
A dog begging for food in the presence of its owner.
Calling in sick to work when managers are not present.
II. ABCs of Operant Behavior
Definition of the Three-Term Contingency: The relationship between antecedents, behavior, and consequences can be summarized as:
Example 1:
Antecedent (A): Wife is present
Behavior (B): Man says “I love you”
Consequence (C): Wife says “I love you” back
Example 2:
Antecedent (A): Coworker present
Behavior (B): Man says “I love you”
Consequence (C): Awkward stares
Other Examples:
Example 3 (Phone):
A: Phone rings
B: Pick it up
C: Talk to someone
Example Outcome: You are more likely to pick up the phone when it rings rather than when it doesn’t.
Example 4 (Storytelling):
A: With friends
B: Tell stories
C: Friends laugh
A: With parents
B: Tell stories
C: No laughs, reprimands
Example Outcome: More likely to tell stories to friends as opposed to parents.
III. Stimulus Discrimination Training
Process:
Reinforce behavior in the presence of one specific antecedent, referred to as discriminative stimulus (SD).
Do not reinforce the behavior in the presence of other antecedent stimuli, referred to as S-delta (SΔ).
Example of Discriminative Stimulus:
SD: The presence of a wife
SΔ: The presence of a coworker
Definitions:
SD (Discriminative Stimulus):
An antecedent stimulus that signals the potential for reinforcement when the desired behavior is executed.
SΔ (S-Delta):
An antecedent stimulus that indicates extinction, meaning the behavior will not be reinforced.
Relationships and Outcomes:
When SD is present:
When SΔ is present:
Outcome of Training:
The behavior becomes more likely to happen in the presence of the discriminative stimulus due to stimulus control being established.
Key Terms:
Discrimination:
The tendency for behavior to occur in the presence of certain stimuli but not in the absence of those stimuli.
Discrimination Training:
Any procedure that establishes a discrimination between stimuli.
IV. Generalization
Definition:
Generalization occurs when behavior is emitted in the presence of stimuli that are similar to the previously reinforced discriminative stimulus (SD).
Rationale:
Because the behavior was reinforced in the presence of the SD, it is likely to also occur in the presence of similar stimuli in the future.
Example of Generalization:
Scenario:
A parent makes a request, and the child complies, receiving praise.
Outcome:
The child is likely to comply with various requests in the future, even if they are novel.
Further Expansion:
Generalization can involve labeling similar examples correctly.
Example:
If a child learns to identify a large dog correctly as a “dog,” they may start labeling smaller or medium-sized dogs as “dog” due to previously reinforced behavior.
V. Applications of Generalization & Discrimination
Concept Formation:
A concept is defined as any class of items or stimuli where members share one or more defining features.
Example Application:
Discriminating between a spider and other insects involves understanding the features that classify these creatures.
Child's Learning:
A child learns what constitutes a “car” by identifying shared features among various examples that fit the category.
Generalization Within Categories:
Category Features for Birds:
Wings
Ability to fly
Presence of two legs
Lays eggs
Feathers
Builds nests
Ability to sing
Beak
Claws (used for building and hunting potential food like insects)