The dog learning to salivate only to the chair's horn and not to others demonstrates what?

The dog learning to salivate only to the chair's horn and not to others demonstrates what?

• A. Stimulus generalization
• B. Stimulus discrimination
• C. Extinction
• D. Spontaneous recovery

Answer: (B)

This demonstrates stimulus discrimination, the ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond only to the one that has been conditioned. The dog has learned that only the chair’s horn signals food, so it salivates to that horn and not to other horns or similar sounds. If it had salivated to the other horns as well, that would be generalization. Extinction would involve the horn being presented without the food, leading to a decrease in salivation. Spontaneous recovery would be the return of salivation after a pause, following extinction.

This demonstrates stimulus discrimination, the ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond only to the one that has been conditioned. The dog has learned that only the chair’s horn signals food, so it salivates to that horn and not to other horns or similar sounds. If it had salivated to the other horns as well, that would be generalization. Extinction would involve the horn being presented without the food, leading to a decrease in salivation. Spontaneous recovery would be the return of salivation after a pause, following extinction.