Theo gets excited whenever he finds a quarter lying on the ground outside. While walking home from school one day, Theo noticed a shiny round object lying on the sidewalk and became very excited. He soon realized that the object was a bottle cap and his excitement quickly dissipated. Which of the following concepts is demonstrated in this example?

• A. Extinction
• B. Conditioned emotional response
• C. Stimulus generalization
• D. Spontaneous recovery

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the key elements of the scenario: Theo's excitement upon seeing a shiny round object and the subsequent realization that it is not a quarter.
2. Understand the concept of 'Stimulus Generalization': This occurs when a response is elicited by stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus.
3. Relate the scenario to 'Stimulus Generalization': Theo's excitement is initially triggered by the shiny round object because it resembles a quarter, which is the original stimulus that elicits excitement.
4. Differentiate from other concepts: 'Extinction' involves the reduction of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus. 'Conditioned emotional response' refers to an emotional reaction that is learned through conditioning. 'Spontaneous recovery' is the reappearance of a conditioned response after a period of extinction.
5. Conclude that the scenario best illustrates 'Stimulus Generalization' because Theo's excitement is generalized from the specific stimulus of a quarter to a similar stimulus, the bottle cap.