What does stimulus control refer to in behavioral analysis?

Stimulus control in behavioral analysis specifically refers to the relationship between a discriminative stimulus and the behavior it elicits. A discriminative stimulus is a stimulus that signals the availability of reinforcement for a particular behavior. When an individual learns that a specific stimulus indicates that a response will be rewarded, their behavior is said to be under stimulus control. For example, if a child learns that saying "please" when asking for something results in a favorable response from an adult, the request is under the control of the discriminative stimulus, which in this case is the child saying “please.”

This concept is fundamental in understanding how certain stimuli can influence behavior through the reinforcement or punishment that follows specific responses. The effectiveness of stimulus control is a key factor in applied behavior analysis, as it can help practitioners design interventions that modify behavior by manipulating the relevant stimuli in a learning environment.