stimulus control

the extent to which behavior is influenced by different stimulus conditions. It can refer to different responses occurring in the presence of different stimuli or to differences in the rate, temporal organization, or topography (see response topography) of a single response in the presence of different stimuli.

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Psychology term of the day

February 21st 2025

Hoover’s sign

a diagnostic test for neurological (as distinct from psychological) hemiplegia in which the individual in a reclining position attempts to raise the paralyzed leg: An individual with true hemiplegia reflexively presses down the heel of the healthy leg during the test. The absence of the downward movement is a positive Hoover’s sign and suggests psychogenic paresis or malingering. [Charles Franklin Hoover (1865–1927), U.S. physician]