discrimination learning
 

just as classically conditioned responses undergo discrimination and generalization,so do operantly conditioned responses.in operant conditioning,discrimination occurs when the organism learns to distinguish among similar stimulus situations and to offer a particular response only in those specific situations in which reinforcement will be forthcoming.
discrimination occurs regularly in our lives.for instance,when student learn that they will be rewarded for sitting quietly and attentively during a teacher,s lecture,the reward may be the teacher,s favor or being able to hear the lecture and learn from it.
in this situation.sitting quite always elicit reinforcement in the classroom?off course not.when the teacher asks a students a question,remaining quite and refusing to speak would not lead to the reinforcement.in fact,silence could even lead to punishment if the teacher becomes frustrated with the student.therefore,the student must learn to discriminate between the situations in which remaining silent will and will not lead to the reinforcement..........