Which of the following statements are accurate?
I) A cat runs to the kitchen every time they hear kibble being poured. Over time, the also begin to run to the kitchen anytime someone pours cereal. This is an example of stimulus generalization.
II) As stimulus generalization decreases, stimulus discrimination also decreases.
III) In stimulus discrimination, a similar stimulus will not elicit the conditioned response.

• A. I & II.
• B. II & III.
• C. I & III.
• D. I, II, & III

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of stimulus generalization. It occurs when a conditioned response is elicited by stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. In the example, the cat runs to the kitchen when it hears kibble being poured, and over time, it also runs when cereal is poured. This is stimulus generalization because the cat responds to a similar stimulus (cereal pouring) in the same way it responds to the original stimulus (kibble pouring).
2. Step 2: Analyze statement I. It describes a scenario where a cat generalizes its response to a similar stimulus. This aligns with the definition of stimulus generalization, making statement I accurate.
3. Step 3: Understand the concept of stimulus discrimination. It is the ability to differentiate between the conditioned stimulus and other similar stimuli, leading to a response only to the conditioned stimulus.
4. Step 4: Analyze statement II. It suggests that as stimulus generalization decreases, stimulus discrimination also decreases. However, typically, as generalization decreases, discrimination increases because the subject learns to differentiate between stimuli.
5. Step 5: Analyze statement III. It states that in stimulus discrimination, a similar stimulus will not elicit the conditioned response. This is accurate because discrimination involves responding only to the specific conditioned stimulus and not to similar ones.