Clearly demonstrated in John Watson's 'Little Albert Experiment' (1920).
Generalization:
After being conditioned to fear a white rat, Little Albert also feared white rabbits, white beards, and even Santa's beard.
Responding to similar stimuli in the same way.
Discrimination:
Responding only to specific stimuli and not others.
Example: A dog that barks only at the doorbell, not the TV.
These concepts explain learning efficiency and accuracy.
Applications:
- Phobias: May result from over-generalization
- Branding: Why logo consistency matters
- Education: Training concepts across different contexts
Conductual
Generalization & Discrimination
Similar stimuli, same response; different stimuli, different response