Stimulus Generalization (Simple English)

Stimulus generalization happens when you learn to react to one thing, and then react the same way to other things that are similar—even if you haven’t trained for them.

What It Means

• You learn a behavior after seeing and practicing with one specific thing (stimulus), then you do that same behavior with other similar things.
• This is important in learning. Without it, you’d only be able to use skills in one exact situation.

Everyday Example

• If you learn to greet your friend when they wave their hand, you might also greet them if they smile or nod. You show the same behavior even with a different gesture.

How It Works

1. First, you learn with one specific clue (like a nice wave).
2. Then, you start using the same behavior with other cues (like a smile or a nod) that mean the same thing.

Why It Matters

• We don’t want someone to learn a rule for just one case—we want them to use it more broadly.
• For example, someone learns to say “hello” when someone walks in. We want them to say “hello” even if the person enters room a different way.

---

Stimulus vs. Response Generalization

• Stimulus generalization: same behavior with different cues.
• Response generalization: many different behaviors used for the same cue.

Example of Response Generalization

• You learn to say “hello” when you see a friend.
• Next, you start saying “hi,” “hey,” or “what’s up” for the same situation. You change behavior though the cue is the same.

---

Tips for RBT Exam

• If you see many different cues causing the same response, that’s stimulus generalization.
• If you see one cue leading to many responses, that’s response generalization.

RBTs and BCBAs need to plan for both, so skills work in many settings—not just one.