DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS Meaning and
Definition
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A discriminative stimulus, in the context of psychology and behaviorism, refers to a specific cue or signal that indicates the availability of reinforcement or punishment for a particular behavior. It is a stimulus that discriminates between different behavioral responses, signaling the likelihood of a consequence or the possibility of receiving reinforcement.
This discriminative stimulus acts as an important environmental cue that enables an organism to discriminate between situations or contexts in order to appropriately respond to specific learned behaviors. It helps identify and differentiate the conditions in which a particular behavior is reinforced or suppressed.
For example, in the context of training animals, a discriminative stimulus could be a specific sound, visual cue, or prompt that an animal associates with a particular behavior and the subsequent consequence. This stimulus informs the animal that performing a certain action in the given setting can lead to a desired outcome or reward if the behavior is chosen and executed correctly.
This concept of discriminative stimulus is widely used in operant conditioning, where it aids in shaping and modifying behavior. Through repeated exposure, organisms learn to associate certain stimuli as discriminative, and consequently, they adjust their behavior accordingly to maximize rewards or minimize punishment.
Overall, a discriminative stimulus plays a crucial role in helping individuals, animals, and even artificial intelligence systems differentiate and respond appropriately to specific situations, shaping behavioral responses in accordance with the anticipation of reinforcement or punishment.
Common Misspellings for DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS
- siscriminative stimulus
- xiscriminative stimulus
- ciscriminative stimulus
- fiscriminative stimulus
- riscriminative stimulus
- eiscriminative stimulus
- duscriminative stimulus
- djscriminative stimulus
- dkscriminative stimulus
- doscriminative stimulus
- d9scriminative stimulus
- d8scriminative stimulus
- diacriminative stimulus
- dizcriminative stimulus
- dixcriminative stimulus
- didcriminative stimulus
- diecriminative stimulus
- diwcriminative stimulus
- disxriminative stimulus
Etymology of DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS
The etymology of the term "discriminative stimulus" can be broken down as follows:
1. Discriminative: This term comes from the Latin word "discriminare", which means to distinguish or differentiate. It is derived from the word "discrimen", meaning division or separation.
2. Stimulus: This term has its roots in the Latin word "stimulus", which refers to a goad or a spur. It is derived from the verb "stimulare", meaning to prick or incite.
When combined, "discriminative stimulus" refers to a specific stimulus that serves as a cue for a particular behavior or response to occur.
