functional stimulus

in stimulus–response experiments, the characteristic of the stimulus that actually produces a particular effect on the organism and governs its behavior. This may be different from the nominal stimulus as defined by the experimenter. For example, if an experimenter presents a blue square to a pigeon as a nominal stimulus, the functional stimulus may simply be the color blue. Also called effective stimulus.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

motor test

any test designed to measure motor skills, ranging from gross motor to fine motor manipulation.