Which term describes the tendency for similar stimuli to elicit similar responses once a response has been conditioned?

The correct term that describes the tendency for similar stimuli to elicit similar responses once a response has been conditioned is generalization. This phenomenon occurs in classical conditioning, where an organism learns a conditioned response to a specific stimulus and then starts to respond similarly to other, similar stimuli that were not explicitly conditioned.

For example, if a dog is trained to salivate at the sound of a bell, it might also salivate at the sound of a different, but similar-sounding bell. This highlights the adaptive nature of learning, allowing organisms to respond appropriately to stimuli that are similar to those they have encountered before.

In contrast, discrimination refers to the ability to differentiate between similar stimuli and respond only to the specific conditioned stimulus. Extinction is the process where the conditioned response decreases or disappears when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus. Spontaneous recovery is the re-emergence of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a rest period. Understanding these concepts underscores the mechanisms of learning and behavior in psychological conditioning.