Stimulus Control
Definition
The situation in which a behavior occurs more often in the presence of a particular stimulus than in its absence, because of a history of differential reinforcement in the presence of that stimulus. When stimulus control is established, the stimulus is a discriminative stimulus and the behavior is said to be under its control.
In plain language
When a behavior happens more in the presence of a certain signal, because that is when it has paid off before. The signal now controls the behavior.
Example
A learner says "dog" when shown a picture of a dog and not when shown a cat. The picture controls the response.
Not stimulus control
A learner says "dog" to every animal picture. Responding is not yet under control of the relevant features.
See also
Written from
- skinner-1953
- green-2001
Written from Skinner (1953) and Green (2001). No textbook glossary consulted.
This entry has not yet been through clinical review. Treat it as a draft.