What term describes the process of responding differently to different stimuli based on prior experiences?

The term that describes the process of responding differently to different stimuli based on prior experiences is discrimination. Discrimination involves learning to differentiate between stimuli to respond in a manner that is appropriate for each specific situation. This is a vital skill in behavioral learning, as it helps individuals identify and react to various cues in their environment based on the consequences or prior experiences associated with those cues.

For example, if a dog learns that a bell means it's time for food but does not respond to the sound of a different bell, the dog is demonstrating discrimination. This ability allows individuals and animals to engage in more complex decision-making based on their learned experiences. In behavioral therapy and education, fostering discrimination can aid in teaching clients or students to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant stimuli, enhancing their learning and behavioral responses.

Generalization, on the other hand, refers to the tendency to respond similarly to similar stimuli, which is contrary to the concept of discrimination. Extinction pertains to the process of decreasing the frequency of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced, while segregation does not relate to learning processes in behavior analysis.