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Dogs conditioned to salivate when rubbed on their paws also began to salivate when other parts of their body were rubbed. This illustrates

a) Generalization
b) Discrimination
c) Extinction
d) Spontaneous recovery

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The phenomenon of dogs conditioned to salivate when rubbed on their paws beginning to salivate when other parts are rubbed is an example of stimulus generalization. It happens when the conditioned response to one stimulus extends to other similar stimuli.

Step-by-step explanation:

When dogs conditioned to salivate when rubbed on their paws also began to salivate when other parts of their body were rubbed, this phenomenon illustrates stimulus generalization. This is when an organism demonstrates a conditioned response to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. In Pavlov's original experiments, he noted that his dogs would salivate when presented with a stimulus, such as a bell or a touch, which through repetitive conditioning had become associated with food. While stimulus discrimination refers to an organism's ability to differentiate between different stimuli and respond accordingly, stimulus generalization occurs when the conditioned response extends to similar, but not identical, stimuli.

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