Clarification of stimulus generalization

[MadWolf]

I'm reading through my textbook for a class (behavior analysis)... and I've come accross what they term 'stimulus generalization' defined as

When an observer responds in a similar way to different stimuli, we say stimulus generalization is occurring.

I'm guessing differnt schools of psychological thought can sometimes use differnt terms for the same thing...

correct me if I'm wrong....

but isnt this the same thing as an attitude formation?

An attitude being a predispositon to behave in a positive or negetive way towards an attitude object.

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[Therapist4Chnge]

The verbiage isn't really my cup of tea, but I'll take a stab at it....

Stimulus generalization is when a new stimuli is grouped in with an existing stimuli because it is similar enough and causes the same conditioned response. For instance, if a dog is conditioned to bark at a honking horn, they may also bark at a bull horn siren because it is similar enough to the honking horn. Now in the future the dog will have the conditioned response to either horn.

YMMV...as this is coming from a dynamic guy, not a behaviorist.

 

[MadWolf]

The verbiage isn't really my cup of tea, but I'll take a stab at it....

Stimulus generalization is when a new stimuli is grouped in with an existing stimuli because it is similar enough and causes the same conditioned response. For instance, if a dog is conditioned to bark at a honking horn, they may also bark at a bull horn siren because it is similar enough to the honking horn. Now in the future the dog will have the conditioned response to either horn.

YMMV...as this is coming from a dynamic guy, not a behaviorist.

yea I understand the fact that its a generalization accross stimulus class...

but you didnt really answer my question...

is it the same thing as an attitude?

 

[MadWolf]

EDIT:

Okay then is 'stimulis generalization' is almost the same as an attitude

I understand the fact that one deals with the acctual behavior.... and an attitude deals with the fact that its a 'predisposition to behave'......

but regardless..... it sounds like almost the same thing to me.. just diffrent in time..

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

*shrugs*

I'm not familiar enough with the verbiage to answer the second part.....though if you had questions about transference and the like, I'm your guy.

 

[myelin]

yea I understand the fact that its a generalization accross stimulus class...

but you didnt really answer my question...

is it the same thing as an attitude?

No, stimulus generalization is not the same as an attitude.

T4C gave a nice example using a dog and a horn. The stimulus (the horn) can be generalized because the two different horns are much alike, eliciting similar barking behavior.

Attitudes are more cognitive and not as S-R as stimulus generalization.

 

[noneotherthanoz]

stimulus generalization and attitude formation are in no way the same thing.

as stated before, stimulus generalization is simply an animal making the same response (barking) to different stimuli (sounds).

attitude formation is far more complicated than the relationship between stimuli and responses.