stimulus generalisation
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun (Psychology) The process by which a learned response to a specific stimulus is also elicited by a different, but similar, stimulus. It occurs when an organism does not distinguish precisely between the original conditioned stimulus and a new one.
Usage
This term is used primarily in psychology, specifically in learning theory and behavioral studies, to describe a fundamental aspect of conditioning.
Examples: * A dog conditioned to salivate to a specific tone may also salivate to a slightly different tone; this is stimulus generalisation. * The study measured the degree of stimulus generalisation from a red light to lights of other colors. * Stimulus generalisation explains why a child afraid of one dog might become afraid of all dogs.
Advanced Usage
- Generalisation Gradient: A graph showing how the strength of a learned response changes as the test stimulus becomes less similar to the original conditioned stimulus. A steep gradient indicates little generalisation, while a shallow gradient indicates broad generalisation.
- The concept is central to understanding how learned behaviors can be applied in new, but similar, situations, promoting adaptability.
Variants and Related Words
- Stimulus Generalization: The standard American English spelling of the term.
- Generalisation (British English) / Generalization (American English): The broader process of applying a learned rule or response to new instances.
- Response Generalisation: The related process where a learned response leads to the performance of other, similar responses.
Synonyms
- Generalisation (in the psychological context)
- Transfer
- Irradiation (an older, less common term in psychology)
Antonyms
- Stimulus Discrimination: The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other, similar stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.
Noun
- (psychology) transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus