Final answer:
The example demonstrates Transfer of stimulus control, where the child's response is altered by changing the stimulus from pointing to verbally identifying, a technique used in operant conditioning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The example provided is an illustration of Transfer of stimulus control. This occurs when the control of a response transfers from one stimulus to another. Initially, the child responds to the verbal cue "Point to the cat?" by physically pointing to the cat. Subsequently, another question is asked, "What is it?" while holding a cat card, prompting the child to verbally respond with "cat." The child's verbal response to the card now demonstrates that stimulus control has been transferred from the act of pointing to the presentation of the card. This is a common technique used in behavior therapy and learning, particularly with regard to operant conditioning.
Stimulus generalization and stimulus discrimination are processes involved in conditioning. Stimulus generalization occurs when a conditioned response is demonstrated in response to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus, while stimulus discrimination involves the ability to differentiate between relevant and non-relevant stimuli, responding only to the conditioned stimulus.
By using these techniques, it is possible to shape behavior through rewarding successive approximations toward a target behavior, such as teaching a dog to roll over by reinforcing actions that are closer and closer to the full roll over behavior.