Stimulus
Definition
An event, object or condition in the environment that can affect behavior — a sound, a sight, a touch, a person entering the room, or a change in temperature. Stimuli are described by their physical features and by their function, and the same physical event can serve different functions for different people or at different times.
In plain language
Anything in the surroundings that can affect what a person does. A sound, an object, a person, a change in the room.
Example
A timer beeping, a teacher's instruction, or a cold draft from a window.
Not stimulus
The learner's own response of covering their ears. That is behavior, though its result can become a stimulus for what comes next.
See also
Written from
- skinner-1953
Written from Skinner (1953). No textbook glossary consulted.
This entry has not yet been through clinical review. Treat it as a draft.