AIM Behavior ServicesWhat is Stimulus control?
Updated: Oct 1, 2017
stimulus control
Stimulus control refers to how things (stimuli) in the environment impact the likelihood of a behavior occurring. If a behavior is under stimulus control, then that behavior has a higher likelihood of occurring when the stimulus is present. Additionally, the absence of the stimulus would result in a decrease of that behavior.
How is Stimulus Control Established?
A behavior can become under stimulus control when the behavior has been reinforced in the presence of the stimuli.
For example:
I put a dollar in the vending machine (behavior) because the lights on the machine are on (stimulus), indicating that the machine is working. In the past, putting a dollar in the vending machine behavior when the light is on has resulted in me getting a tasty snack (history of reinforcement). Conversely, when the lights are off (absence of stimulus), I won't put a dollar in the vending machine (no behavior), because it would not dispense my snack (no reinforcement).
In this scenario, the behavior of putting a dollar into the machine has come under the stimulus control of the light on the vending machine because, in the past, putting money into a vending machine has been reinforced with a snack. The light itself would be called a discriminative stimulus, which is the term used to describe the actual stimuli that increases the behavior. You can read more about
Related Terms
discriminative stimulus
Some of our other favorite examples around the web:
When we have a powerful thunderstorm in our lightning-prone area of the country, my wife and I unplug our computers. Our behavior is "controlled" by the occurrence of the thunderstorms, which are potentially antecedent to a damaging electrical surge. Even the best surge protectors cannot protect against a nearby lightning strike. By reacting to the antecedent stimuli of thunderclaps, we attempt to avoid the punishing stimulus of ruined computers.
Link: http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch05-conditioning/stimulus-control.html