Jillian learns to say "Salut" in France and begins to wave when others greet her. What type of stimulus equivalence does this illustrate?

Jillian learns to say "Salut" in France and begins to wave when others greet her. What type of stimulus equivalence does this illustrate?

• A. Reflexivity
• B. Symmetry
• C. Transitivity
• D. Equivalence classes

Answer: (B)

The scenario described illustrates symmetry in stimulus equivalence. Symmetry refers to the reversible relationship between two stimuli that share a common association or meaning. In this case, Jillian learns to respond to a specific greeting ("Salut") with a verbal response and then extends this learning by pairing it with a non-verbal gesture (waving). This demonstrates symmetry because Jillian's initial learning (saying "Salut" when greeted) can now be reciprocated; the greeting can cause both the verbal response and the accompanying wave. Thus, both forms of response (verbal and non-verbal) are interchangeable based on the learned association. In contrast, reflexivity involves a direct relation where a stimulus is treated as equivalent to itself. Transitivity involves a more complex relationship where if A equals B and B equals C, then A must equal C. Equivalence classes refer to groups of stimuli that are interchangeable due to shared properties, but the core relationship in this specific example centers on the symmetry aspect, where the greeting and the wave are now interchangeable responses to the same social situation.

The scenario described illustrates symmetry in stimulus equivalence. Symmetry refers to the reversible relationship between two stimuli that share a common association or meaning. In this case, Jillian learns to respond to a specific greeting ("Salut") with a verbal response and then extends this learning by pairing it with a non-verbal gesture (waving).

This demonstrates symmetry because Jillian's initial learning (saying "Salut" when greeted) can now be reciprocated; the greeting can cause both the verbal response and the accompanying wave. Thus, both forms of response (verbal and non-verbal) are interchangeable based on the learned association.

In contrast, reflexivity involves a direct relation where a stimulus is treated as equivalent to itself. Transitivity involves a more complex relationship where if A equals B and B equals C, then A must equal C. Equivalence classes refer to groups of stimuli that are interchangeable due to shared properties, but the core relationship in this specific example centers on the symmetry aspect, where the greeting and the wave are now interchangeable responses to the same social situation.