Generalization/Stimulus Control describes:

Generalization/Stimulus Control describes:

• A. The behavior is emitted indiscriminately to any cue.
• B. The same response occurs to the specific cue and not to similar cues; discriminative stimulus controls the behavior.
• C. All responses are generalized to all cues.
• D. The animal ignores the cue entirely.

Answer: (B)

This describes how a behavior comes under stimulus control. When a discriminative stimulus is present, it signals that reinforcement is available, so the animal learns to perform the behavior specifically in the presence of that cue. The result is that the same response is produced for the exact cue, but not for similar cues, because the discriminative stimulus controls the behavior. This tight cue–response relationship is what we mean by stimulus control, and it’s the opposite of indiscriminate responding or ignoring cues. Think of a dog trained to sit only when you show a specific hand signal. The dog sits in response to that exact signal and does not sit for analogous signals. If the animal responded to any cue, or generalized to all cues, there would be no stimulus control. If the animal ignored the cue, there’s no learning or cue association.

This describes how a behavior comes under stimulus control. When a discriminative stimulus is present, it signals that reinforcement is available, so the animal learns to perform the behavior specifically in the presence of that cue. The result is that the same response is produced for the exact cue, but not for similar cues, because the discriminative stimulus controls the behavior. This tight cue–response relationship is what we mean by stimulus control, and it’s the opposite of indiscriminate responding or ignoring cues.

Think of a dog trained to sit only when you show a specific hand signal. The dog sits in response to that exact signal and does not sit for analogous signals. If the animal responded to any cue, or generalized to all cues, there would be no stimulus control. If the animal ignored the cue, there’s no learning or cue association.