hyperspecificity

n. a behavioral situation in which a learned association between two stimuli fails to generalize when the stimuli are presented in a novel combination. Although hyperspecificity is a common occurrence, it has been observed particularly in such disorders as amnesia and autism. One study, for example, described the case of a child with autism who would not use a friend’s toilet because it was not the specific one on which he was originally toilet trained.

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

reinforcement of alternative behavior

a procedure that involves eliminating reward or reinforcement for an undesired behavior and instead rewarding a desired behavior. Also called rewarded alternative method.