Auditory–Visual Discriminations: Stimulus Control, Teaching Procedures, and Considerations

Abstract

Stimulus control involves being more likely to engage in a target behavior in the presence of a stimulus than in its absence. These stimuli are discriminative stimuli because they are correlated with reinforcement and increase the likelihood of a response under specific conditions. Stimulus control is an essential behavioral principle that helps us behave more effectively and efficiently in our environment. Also, stimulus control is important in many social and instructional situations and is often targeted in applied-behavior-analytic interventions. In this chapter, we focused on the control of auditory and visual stimuli in simple and conditional discriminations. In addition to explanations of different types of discriminations and parameters of auditory and visual stimuli, we described procedural arrangements that can be used to teach auditory and visual discriminations. Next, we described intervention strategies and procedural components that can be used to teach discriminations. Finally, we provided guidance on arranging instruction to promote appropriate stimulus control, detecting sources of stimulus control, and strategies to help mitigate faulty sources of control.