Stimulus Control

Question 1

The Three-Term Contingency

Answer 1

A:B → C

A - Antecedent (Stimulus)
B - Behaviour (Response)
C - Consequence (Outcome)

Question 2

Controlling Stimulus (S)

Answer 2

Any stimulus or event that changes the probability of an operant behaviour.
- Two types of consequent controlling stimuli: Reinforcers and Punishers
-Three types of antecedent controlling stimuli: S^D, S^Δ, S^(ave)

Question 3

Discriminative Stimulus (S^D)

Answer 3

A stimulus or event that precedes an operant and sets the occasion for its reinforcement.

Question 4

Extinction Stimulus (S^Δ)

Answer 4

A stimulus or event that precedes an operant and sets the occasion for its non-reinforcement.
- Pronounced (S-delta)

Question 5

Discrimination

Stimulus Control

Answer 5

Discrimination occurs when the presence (or absence) of stimuli is the occasion on which a response will be followed by reinforcement.

Discrimination refers to the effect an occasion setting contingency has on behaviour.

Question 6

Stimulus Control:

Answer 6

A change in operant behaviour that occurs when either a S^D or S^Δ is presented.

Question 7

The Stroop Effect

Answer 7

When conflicting discriminative stimuli are presented alongside each other
- Ex. A red word saying blue

Question 8

The discrimination index

Stimulus Control

Answer 8

A measure of the stimulus control exerted by an S^D or S^Δ.
- States the amount of influence a discriminative stimulus effects the rate of behaviour
- This is a fancy equation you don’t actually need to know

Question 9

Differential Outcomes Effect (DOE)

Answer 9

Discrimination training proceeds more rapidly when different behaviours produce different reinforcers.

Question 10

Generalization vs Discrimination

Stimulus Control

Answer 10

Generalization and Discrimination refer to the precision of stimulus control.
- Discrimination is precise control
- Generalization is less precise control.

Question 11

Stimulus Generalization

Answer 11

“The tendency for behaviour to
occur in situations different than
the one in which the behaviour
was learned.” -Paul Chance

Generalization is obtained by training in a wide array of settings/stimuli.

Question 12

Concept Formation

Stimulus Control

Answer 12

Concept Formation is the . . .
1) The generalization within classes of stimuli and . . .
2) The discrimination between classes stimuli.

“Strictly speaking, one does not have a concept, just as one does not
have extinction − rather, one demonstrates conceptual behavior by
acting in a certain way.” -Keller & Schoenfeld, 1950