Stimulus and Response Generalization
Provide two individual examples to teach “stimulus generalization” and “response generalization” to a client. Explain how these two types of generalizations differ.
Scenario: Teaching a child to identify dogs
- Initial Training: You teach the child to identify and respond to the family dog, a Labrador, by saying “dog” whenever they see it.
- Generalization: Over time, the child starts to identify other breeds of dogs, such as a Poodle, German Shepherd, and Bulldog, as “dog” as well, even though they haven’t been explicitly taught to identify these specific breeds.
Explanation: Stimulus generalization occurs when a response that has been conditioned to a specific stimulus (the family dog) is elicited by other, similar stimuli (other dog breeds). The child generalizes the concept of “dog” to include other breeds, not just the Labrador they were initially taught to identify.
Response Generalization Example:
Scenario: Teaching a client to greet others…
Scenario: Teaching a child to identify dogs
- Initial Training: You teach the child to identify and respond to the family dog, a Labrador, by saying “dog” whenever they see it.
- Generalization: Over time, the child starts to identify other breeds of dogs, such as a Poodle, German Shepherd, and Bulldog, as “dog” as well, even though they haven’t been explicitly taught to identify these specific breeds.
Explanation: Stimulus generalization occurs when a response that has been conditioned to a specific stimulus (the family dog) is elicited by other, similar stimuli (other dog breeds). The child generalizes the concept of “dog” to include other breeds, not just the Labrador they were initially taught to identify.
Response Generalization Example:
Scenario: Teaching a client to greet others…
Scenario: Teaching a child to identify dogs
- Initial Training: You teach the child to identify and respond to the family dog, a Labrador, by saying “dog” whenever they see it.
- Generalization: Over time, the child starts to identify other breeds of dogs, such as a Poodle, German Shepherd, and Bulldog, as “dog” as well, even though they haven’t been explicitly taught to identify these specific breeds.
Explanation: Stimulus generalization occurs when a response that has been conditioned to a specific stimulus (the family dog) is elicited by other, similar stimuli (other dog breeds). The child generalizes the concept of “dog” to include other breeds, not just the Labrador they were initially taught to identify.
Response Generalization Example:
Scenario: Teaching a client to greet others…
