How is stimulus control defined in behavior therapy?

Stimulus control refers to the phenomenon where certain behaviors are influenced by specific cues or environmental stimuli. In behavior therapy, it is understood that an individual's behavior can vary significantly depending on the presence or absence of certain stimuli. For example, a child may raise their hand to speak in a classroom setting but may not do the same in a more informal environment where such behavior is not prompted or expected.

When certain behaviors are consistently reinforced in the presence of specific stimuli, that behavior becomes under the control of those stimuli. This means that the individual is likely to display particular behaviors when they encounter those specific cues and refrain from them in their absence. Thus, displaying different behaviors based on the presence of a stimulus is fundamental in understanding how behavioral patterns can be shaped and modified in therapeutic settings.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of stimulus control. Behaving consistently in all situations does not take into account the influence of specific stimuli; responding only to verbal instructions implies a limited scope of behavioral control that disregards other environmental cues; and ignoring environmental cues completely contradicts the idea of stimulus control itself, which relies on the interaction between behavior and stimuli.