A Discriminative StimulusStimulus is defined as any change in the environment or form of energy that affects an organism’s behavior or physiological state. Stimuli can be external or internal, and they can el... More (SD) is a stimulus in the environment that signals the availability of reinforcementReinforcement is a fundamental concept in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and behavioral psychology. It refers to any consequence that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior... More for a specific behaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living organisms engage in, which can be observed, measured, and analyzed. It encompasses all interactions an organism has with its environment, inc... More. When an SD is present, it indicates that a particular behavior will result in a reinforcement, increasing the likelihood that the behavior will occur. In AppliedApplied means that the behaviors targeted for change in ABA are important and meaningful in everyday life, helping to improve the person’s quality of life or social functioning. Example A ... More Behavior Analysis (ABA), SDs are used to teach individuals that certain behaviors will be reinforced in the presence of specific cues or stimuli.
Example
A child has learned that when the teacher raises her hand (SD), students are supposed to stop talking and listen. The raised hand acts as a discriminative stimulus, signaling that if the students stop talking and pay attention, they will receive praise or other forms of reinforcement (such as a continuation of a preferred activity). The behavior of stopping talking and listening is more likely to occur in the presence of the raised hand, as students know this behavior will lead to positive reinforcementPositive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the addition of a stimulus (a reinforcer) that increases the likelihood that the behavior will happen again in the future. In positive rein... More.