THE STIMULUS IN BEHAVIOR THEORY: EVENT OR FUNCTION?

Abstract

The concept of stimulus is examined as one of the basic units tor the analysis of behavior. Sensing is shown to be a set of differentiated reactive systems which are ineffective as compared to skeletal-muscle based response systems. A distinction is made among stimulus object, stimulus and stimulus function. It is argued that stimuli are not parts of stimulus objects but rather the responses to changes in stimulus objects. Psychology is interested in stimulus functions and not in stimuli as biological response functions. Elicitation, inhibition and reinforcement are shown not to be stimulus functions. A tentative classification of stimulus functions is proposed.