Chapter 17

Question 1

Antecedent Stimulus Class

Answer 1

A set of stimuli that share a common relationship. All stimuli in an antecedent stimulus class evoke the same operant behavior, or elicit the same respondent behavior.

Question 2

Arbitrary Stimulus Class

Answer 2

Antecedent stimuli that evoke the same response but do not resemble each other in physical form or share a relational aspect such as bigger or under (e.g., peanuts, cheese, coconut milk, and chicken breasts are members of an arbitrary stimulus class if they evoke the response resources of protein.)

Question 3

Concept Formation

Answer 3

A complex example of stimulus control that requires stimulus generalization within a class of stimuli and discrimination between classes of stimuli.

Question 4

Conditional Discrimination

Answer 4

Performance in match-to-sample procedure in which discrimination between the comparison stimuli is conditional on, or depends on, the sample stimulus present on each trial.

Question 5

Constant Time Delay

Answer 5

A procedure for transferring stimulus control from contrived response prompts to naturally existing stimuli.

Question 6

Discriminative Stimulus (Sd)

Answer 6

A stimulus in the presence of which responses of some type have been reinforced and in the absence of which the same type of responses have occurred and not been reinforced; this history of differential reinforcement is the reason an SD increases the momentary frequency of the behavior.

Question 7

Errorless Learning

Answer 7

A variety of techniques for gradually transferring stimulus control with a minimum of errors.

Question 7

Feature Stimulus Class

Answer 7

Stimuli that share common physical forms or structures (e.g., made from wood, four legs, round, blue) or common relative relationships (e.g., bigger than, hotter than, higher than, next to).

Question 8

Least-to-Most Response Prompts

Answer 8

A technique of transferring stimulus control in which the practitioner gives the participant an opportunity to perform the response with the least amount of assistance on each trial.

Question 9

Matching-to-Sample

Answer 9

A procedure for investigating conditional relations and stimulus equivalence. A matching sample trial begins with the participant making a response that presents or reveals the sample stimulus; next, the sample stimulus may or may not be removed, and two or more comparison stimuli are presented. The participant then selects one of the comparison stimuli. Responses that select a comparison stimulus that matches the sample stimulus are rein-forced, and no reinforcement is provided for responses selecting the nonmatching comparison stimuli.

Question 10

Most-to-least response prompts

Answer 10

A technique of transferring stimulus control in which the practitioner physically guides the participant through the entire performance sequence, and then gradually reduces the the level of assistance in each successive trial.

Question 11

Overselective Stimulus Control

Answer 11

A condition in which the range of discriminative stimuli, or stimulus features controlling the behavior, is extremely limited; often interferes with learning.

Question 12

Overshadowing

Answer 12

Occurs when the most salient component of a compound stimulus arrangement controls responding and interferes with the acquisition of stimulus control by the more relevant stimulus.

Question 13

Progressive Time Delay

Answer 13

A process for transferring stimulus control from contrived response prompts to naturally existing stimulus that starts with simultaneous presentation of the naturally existing stimulus and the response prompt. Following the simultaneous presentations, the time delay is gradually and systemically extended.

Question 14

Response Prompts

Answer 14

Prompts that operate directly on the response to cue a correct response. The three major forms of response prompts are verbal, instructors, modeling, and physical guidance.

Question 15

Stimulus Blocking

Answer 15

Occurs when a competing stimulus blocks that evocative function of a stimulus that has acquired stimulus control over the behavior (sometimes called masking).

Question 16

Stimulus Control

Answer 16

A situation in which the frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of a behavior is altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus.

Question 17

Stimulus Delta

Answer 17

A stimulus in the presence of which a given behavior has not produced reinforcement in the past. (Contrast with discriminative stimulus (SD).

Question 18

Stimulus Discrimination

Answer 18

The conventional procedure requires one behavior and two antecedent stimulus conditions. Responses are reinforced in the presence of one stimulus condition, the SD, but not in the presence of the other stimulus

Question 19

Stimulus Discrimination Training

Answer 19

The conventional procedure requires one behavior and two antecedent stimulus conditions. Responses are reinforced in the presence of one stimulus condition, the SD, but not in the presence of the other stimulus.

Question 20

Stimulus Fading

Answer 20

A method of transferring stimulus control that involves highlighting a physical dimension of a stimulus (size, color, position), to increase the likelihood of a correct response of a correct response and then gradually diminish the exaggerated dimension until the leaner is responding correctly to the naturally occurring stimulus.

Question 21

Stimulus Generalization

Answer 21

When an antecedent stimulus has a history of evoking a response that has been reinforced in its presence, the same type of behavior tends to be evoked by stimuli that share similar physical properties with the controlling antecedent stimulus.

Question 22

Stimulus Generalization Gradient

Answer 22

A graphic depiction of the extent to which behavior that has been reinforced in the presence of a specific stimulus condition is emitted in the presence of other stimuli. The gradient shows relative degree of stimulus generalization and stimulus control (or discrimination). A flat slope across test stimuli shows a high degree of stimulus generalization and relatively little discrimination between the trained stimulus and other stimuli; a slope that drops sharply from its highest point corresponding to the trained stim-ulus indicates a high degree of stimulus control (discrimination) and relatively little stimulus generalization.

Question 23

Stimulus Prompts

Answer 23

Prompts that operate directly on the antecedent task stimulus to a cue a correct response in conjunction with the critical Sd (changing the size, color, or position of a stimulus within an array to make its selection more likely.

Question 24

Time Delay

Answer 24

A procedure for transferring stimulus control from contrived response prompts to naturally existing stimuli that begins with the simultaneous presentation of the natural stimulus and response prompt. After several correct response, a delay is introduced between the stimulus and the response prompt until the student emits the unprompted correct response. Time delay is considered an errorless learning technique.