What does a discriminative stimulus elicit?

A discriminative stimulus is a concept from operant conditioning, a key principle in dog training and behavior modification. It refers to a specific cue or signal that indicates reinforcement is available for a particular behavior. When a discriminative stimulus is presented, it indicates that the behavior linked to that cue will likely be rewarded.

In this context, a trained response is specifically what the handler or trainer is looking for a dog to perform upon noticing the discriminative stimulus. If a dog has learned, for instance, that “sit” is paired with the action of sitting when a specific hand signal is given, then the hand signal becomes a discriminative stimulus for sitting. When the dog recognizes this cue, it elicits the trained response of sitting, fully reinforcing the behavior based on the expectation of a reward.

While there are other behaviors that could potentially be elicited, such as play or self-care behavior, they are not directly linked to the definition and function of a discriminative stimulus in the context of operant conditioning. The precise connection between the stimulus and the desired behavior is what makes identifying a trained response with a discriminative stimulus most accurate.