What is the term for the tendency of stimuli similar to a conditioned stimulus to evoke conditioned responses?

• A. Stimulus generalization
• B. Extinction
• C. Stimulus discrimination
• D. Conditioning

Answer: (A)

The tendency for stimuli that are similar to a conditioned stimulus to evoke the conditioned response is known as stimulus generalization. Once a CS has been learned, related cues can trigger the same CR because they resemble the original cue. For example, if a dog learns that a particular tone predicts food, tones that are similar in pitch may also cause salivation, though the response often weakens as the similarity decreases. This creates a generalization gradient, reflecting how closely related a new stimulus is to the CS.

This is why it's the best term: it specifically captures how similar stimuli elicit the learned response. Extinction describes the weakening of the response when the CS is presented without theUS. Discrimination is the ability to distinguish between similar cues and respond only to the CS. Conditioning refers to the general process of forming associations between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus.