Final answer:
Stimulus control is honed through stimulus discrimination training, where an organism learns to respond only to specific stimuli associated with certain outcomes, exemplified by Pavlov's dogs responding selectively to a bell tone.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stimulus control is developed through stimulus discrimination training by reinforcing an organism's ability to differentiate between similar stimuli and respond only to the specific conditioned stimulus that is associated with a particular outcome. One classic example is Pavlov's dogs, which were trained to respond to a specific tone rather than other similar sounds, demonstrating stimulus discrimination. This technique is an integral part of operant conditioning and the training process in both animals and humans. For instance, a cat may learn to discriminate between the sound of a can opener (a conditioned stimulus signaling food) and a similar sounding but irrelevant stimulus such as an electric mixer. This learned discrimination enables individuals or animals to respond appropriately to stimuli that predict certain outcomes, which is crucial for survival and efficient behavioral responses.