What term describes an increase in a behavioral response when the stimulus eliciting the behavior occurs more often?

What term describes an increase in a behavioral response when the stimulus eliciting the behavior occurs more often?

• A. Sensitization
• B. Habituation
• C. Generalization
• D. Extinction

Answer: (A)

Sensitization is the idea behind this effect. When a stimulus is encountered more often, the animal’s behavioral response to it becomes stronger or more pronounced. This is a non-associative form of learning, driven by increased arousal or heightened sensitivity to the stimulus. In contrast, habituation would be the opposite: the response would lessen with repeated exposure. Generalization would involve responding to similar, not identical, stimuli, and extinction is the fading of a learned response when the stimulus is no longer reinforced or presented.

Sensitization is the idea behind this effect. When a stimulus is encountered more often, the animal’s behavioral response to it becomes stronger or more pronounced. This is a non-associative form of learning, driven by increased arousal or heightened sensitivity to the stimulus.

In contrast, habituation would be the opposite: the response would lessen with repeated exposure. Generalization would involve responding to similar, not identical, stimuli, and extinction is the fading of a learned response when the stimulus is no longer reinforced or presented.