Which phenomenon occurs when a response reinforced in the presence of one cue is evoked by other cues with similar features?

• A. Valence of Behavior
• B. Stimulus Generalization
• C. Functional Relation
• D. DRA

Answer: (B)

Stimulus generalization is the phenomenon where a response that was reinforced in the presence of one cue occurs in the presence of other cues that share features with that original cue. This happens because the cues are perceptually similar enough that the same reinforced behavior is triggered, even though the exact training cue wasn’t present. The strength of the response tends to diminish as the new cues become less similar, which is described by a generalization gradient. This concept contrasts with discrimination, where the same response would not occur to similar cues.

For example, if a learner is reinforced for saying “dog” when shown a golden retriever, they may also say “dog” when shown other dogs or dog-like pictures that share key features. Other options describe different ideas: valence of behavior refers to the value or pleasantness of the behavior itself, a functional relation is the specific environmental relation between antecedents, behaviors, and consequences, and DRA involves reinforcing an alternative behavior rather than the general idea of spreading responses to similar cues.