PSYC 2330 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Stimulus Control, Classical Conditioning, Discrimination Learning
Document Summary
The stimulus control of instrumental behaviour is demonstrated by variations in responding (differential responding) related to variations in stimuli. Two pigeons reinforced on pecking visual response key when it was lit up, response key was a white triangle on a red background. The two key components of the stimuli were the white triangle, and the red background. Once the pigeons were pecking steadily at the stimuli, they were presented only one part of it on its own (red background, or white triangle) One pigeon pecked persistently at just the red background, but not the white triangle, the other pigeon pecked persistently at the white triangle, but not the red background. The differential responding to the two stimulus indicates that the pigeons were treating each stimulus different from the other. An organism is said to exhibit stimulus discrimination if it responds differently to two or more stimuli.