Which term describes the tendency for a response to be evoked by stimuli similar to the original stimulus because of prior reinforcement?

• A. Independent Variable
• B. Stimulus Generalization
• C. Functional Relation
• D. DRA

Answer: (B)

Stimulus generalization is the tendency for a response that has been reinforced in the presence of one stimulus to be evoked by similar stimuli because of the reinforcement history. When the same reinforcement applies across a range of similar cues, the response starts to occur in those other situations as well. The closer the new stimulus is to the original, the stronger the response tends to be, and it usually wanes as similarity decreases. For example, if a child is reinforced for saying “dog” when shown a beagle, they may also say “dog” when shown other dogs or dog-like pictures. This is different from stimulus discrimination, where the response is limited to the exact stimulus and not to similar ones. It’s not about the independent variable, a functional relation, or differential reinforcement of an alternative behavior.