Minor Concept Summary: Stimulus and Response

Ed 304: Ed Psych and Human Development

Author: Camille Jamison

Validated by (Rebecca Marshall 1/26/23, Cassadie Smith 2/1/23, Emily Walton 2/1/23, Tegan Ross 2/4/23 )

Disclosure: ChatGPT was used to locate some of the information in this summary

Summary:

Stimulus: any object, circumstance, or event that can trigger a sensory or behavioral response in an organism. A light switch on or the sound of a bell are two examples of external stimuli.

Response: an organism’s sensory or behavioral reaction to outward influences or stimuli.

Stimuli are generally internal or external. Because the brain is constantly receiving stimuli, it sorts what information to acknowledge through a process called selective attention. While there are many theories as to how selective attention occurs, the exact process isn’t known. One theory is that when a brain attends to new stimuli, it processes the signal from that stimuli by comparing it to all prior knowledge to see how it fits in.

When stimuli and responses are manipulated, it is called conditioning. There are two main methods of conditioning: classical and operant (give example)

Explain what happens in the brain while receiving stimulus, what part processes it, etc.^[a][b]

Classical Conditioning: The use of two paired stimuli to form an association between the first stimulus and the response. At first, the second stimulus triggers the response. Over time, the first stimulus is enough to trigger the response. One example of classical conditioning is the use of bells in some schools. Students unfamiliar with what a bell is will likely ignore it until their teacher tells them they can go to recess, lunch, etc. Students who are familiar with bells will begin putting their things away as soon as they hear them without waiting for instruction from their teacher. The first stimulus (the bell) eventually elicits the same response as the second stimulus (the teacher telling the students they can leave).

Operant Conditioning: The use of rewards and punishment to develop certain behaviors. Unwanted behaviors are punished, and preferred behaviors are rewarded. In learning environments with children, attention itself is often a reward. Giving too much attention to bad behavior, even as a reprimand or intended punishment, can reinforce said bad behavior. A better method is to give more attention to what students are doing right than to what they do wrong.

Briefly, a stimulus is anything that can elicit a reaction in a living organism. Classical and operant conditioning are two of the main methods used to change responses based on stimuli.

How does it work in the class:

Quiz questions:

1. Match the following terms with their definitions:

1. Stimulus
2. Response
3. Selective Attention

1. Any reaction to an outward influence

2. Any object, circumstance, or event that can trigger a behavioral or sensory response.
3. The process by which the brain sorts through stimuli and decides which to respond to

A: ii; B: i; C: iii

2. Clicker training is a method used to train animals with positive reinforcement. The trainer uses a clicker to make a noise as soon as their pet does what they’d like, immediately followed by a treat

True or false: Clicker training is an example of classical conditioning

1. False
2. True

Read more:

(PDF) Selective Attention (researchgate.net)

How the Adult Brain Learns: The Importance of Creating Enriched Environments When Teaching | UNBOUND (upcea.edu)