Stimulus Control in Behavior

Introduction to Stimulus Control

• Stimulus Control: The power exerted by stimuli over behavior due to a history of reinforcement.
• Behavior Anatomy: Behavior is influenced by antecedents (conditions before behavior) and consequences (conditions after behavior).
• Reinforcement: It's crucial as it maintains and strengthens behavior.

Understanding Antecedents and Consequences

• Antecedents: Conditions that precede a behavior.
• Consequences: Conditions that follow a behavior and are crucial for reinforcement.

Mechanism of Stimulus Control

• Environmental Cues: Stimuli in the environment signal when and which behaviors will lead to reinforcement.
• Behavioral Example: Saying "hi" when someone else does due to a history of social reinforcement.

Discriminative Stimuli (SD) and S-Delta

• Discriminative Stimuli (SD): Signals the availability of reinforcement for a particular behavior.
  • Example: The presence of a person who responds positively to a greeting.
• S-Delta: Signals the absence of reinforcement for a particular behavior.
  • Example: Receiving a dismissive response when greeting someone leading to extinction of the greeting behavior.

Examples of Stimulus Control

• Social Interaction: Responding to a greeting due to history of reinforcement.
• Classroom Behavior: Behaviors like sitting or asking questions influenced by classroom environment as SD.
• Daily Life: Pushing a car ignition button, influenced by seeing the button as SD.

Application in Behavioral Science

• Therapeutic Settings: Identifying SDs to change maladaptive behaviors.
• Educational Settings: Using SDs like questions to control student responses and learning.
• Transfer of Stimulus Control: Changing control from one behavior to another more adaptive behavior.

Examples in Practice

• Reinforcement History: Understanding how past reinforcement influences current behavior in different settings.
• Adaptive vs Maladaptive Behaviors: How SDs can signal both positive and negative behaviors.

Concepts to Remember

• SD (Discriminative Stimulus): Signals reinforcement availability.
• S-Delta: Signals reinforcement unavailability.
• Behavioral Science in Everyday Life: Identifying SDs in daily activities enhances understanding of behavior.

Conclusion

• Stimulus Control: An essential concept in understanding and modifying behavior.
• Importance of Reinforcement: Central to explaining why behaviors occur and how they can be changed.
• Complexity: Requires thorough understanding through review and practice.