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Stimulus Control

Technical definition, clinical ABA application, discriminative non-examples, and test-day traps for behavior analysis candidates.

Formal Definition

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

✓ Clinical Example

A student answers questions readily when the teacher wears a green badge (SD), but remains silent when the red badge (S-delta) is worn.

✗ Contrast / Non-Example

A pupil's eye pupil dilating in darkness (this is an involuntary respondent reflex, not operant stimulus control).

⚠️ How This Concept is Tested (Exam Trap)

Stimulus generalization is the opposite of stimulus discrimination: discrimination occurs when behavior occurs ONLY in the presence of the SD.

Interactive Exam Scenario

1 Practice Question
Sample Question 01Domain B: Concepts and PrinciplesStimulus Discrimination and Control

A driver presses the brake pedal whenever a traffic signal turns red, but presses the accelerator when the signal turns green. What behavioral principle accounts for this differential responding?

Select an option to test your answer

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