Final answer:
Stimulus discrimination refers to the phenomenon where behavior is influenced by a specific stimulus only in the presence of another stimulus. This is an aspect of classical conditioning, fundamental to behaviorism, and illustrated through Pavlov's dog experiments. It allows organisms to respond appropriately to stimuli based on their past associations.
Step-by-step explanation:
When behavior comes under the control of one stimulus only when in the presence of another stimulus, it is referred to as stimulus discrimination. This concept is a key component of classical conditioning, a form of associative learning. In classical conditioning, an organism learns to respond differently to similar stimuli based on whether they have been associated with a certain unconditioned stimulus. A classic example of stimulus discrimination is Pavlov's dogs, which learned to salivate only to the sound of a tuning fork that was previously paired with food, and not to other similar sounds. Similarly, a cat like Tiger may learn to differentiate between the sound of a can opener (signaling food) and a similar sounding electric mixer (not signaling food). This learned behavior allows organisms to adapt their responses according to the relevance of the stimuli in their environment, thereby behaving in a more beneficial manner.
Stimulus discrimination is contrasted with stimulus generalization, where an organism demonstrates the conditioned response to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. Over time, an organism may adjust its responses based on the consequences of its behavior. This demonstrates the foundational principles of behaviorism, which posits that behavior can be studied as a stimulus-response reaction without the need for considering internal mental processes. Behaviorism, as championed by John B. Watson, focuses on observable behaviors that can be measured.