Final answer:
Stimulus discrimination training involves teaching an organism to respond only to a specific stimulus and not to similar ones. An example with reinforcement would be training a dog to jump through a hoop only when a specific whistle sound is heard. With punishment, the dog might be sprayed with water if it jumps in response to a different sound like a doorbell, which decreases the behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stimulus discrimination training refers to the process by which an organism learns to respond differently to various stimuli that are similar. For example, a dog could be trained to sit only when it hears a specific tone, and not when it hears other tones. This process involves reinforcing the behavior when it's exhibited in response to the conditioned stimulus and not reinforcing it (or applying punishment) in response to other stimuli.
Example with Reinforcement: Consider a scenario where a dog is trained to jump through a hoop by hearing a whistle. If the dog jumps through the hoop when it hears the whistle, it receives a treat (positive reinforcement). However, if the dog hears similar sounds like a doorbell or a different pitch whistle, it learns not to jump through the hoop because those sounds do not predict a reward. This selective behavior demonstrates stimulus discrimination.
Example with Punishment: Alternatively, punishment can also facilitate stimulus discrimination. If the same dog from the previous example jumps through the hoop on hearing a doorbell (a similar yet distinct stimulus from the whistle), it might receive a gentle spray of water (positive punishment). Over time, the dog would learn to discriminate between the whistle, which predicts a treat, and the doorbell, which predicts an unpleasant outcome, thereby decreasing the likelihood of jumping at the sound of the doorbell.