What term describes a situation where the occurrence of a behavior is controlled by an antecedent stimulus?

• A. Time sampling
• B. Stimulus control
• C. Temporal extent
• D. Stimulus response

Answer: (B)

Stimulus control is the idea that a behavior’s likelihood is governed by an antecedent cue. When the antecedent stimulus is present and signals that reinforcement is available, the behavior is more likely to occur; if the cue is absent or a different cue is present, the behavior is less likely. This concept is often taught with discriminative stimuli that signal when a response will be reinforced. For example, a student may raise their hand more often when the teacher’s cue or the classroom context signals that asking a question will be acknowledged. The term that describes this situation—where the occurrence of a behavior is controlled by an antecedent stimulus—is stimulus control.

Time sampling refers to a measurement method that records whether a behavior occurs during arbitrary intervals. Temporal extent concerns how long a behavior lasts. Stimulus response is a general notion of a reaction to a stimulus and doesn’t specify the control of behavior by antecedent cues, which is why it’s not the best fit here.