Stimulus enhancement is a [[What are the sociocultural mechanisms of learning and how do they work?|social learning mechanism]]. The content in this note is based on Hoppitt and Lala (2013), who propose the following **definition** (p. 64): >Stimulus enhancement occurs when observation of a demonstrator (or its products) exposes the observer to a single stimulus at time t1, and single stimulus exposure effects a a change in the observer detected, in any behavior, at t2. In other words: The learner becomes **more responsive to a stimulus** as a result of observing someone else's behavior. As a result, the learner interacts more with the stimulus, which can lead to further (indirect) learning. For **example**, if a bird observes another bird pecking at a brightly colored fruit in a tree, the observing bird might later peck at the same type of brightly colored fruit. It's not imitating the exact action (as in, it might not peck in the same manner or at the same spot), but its behavior has been influenced by enhancing its interest in a specific stimulus – the brightly colored fruit. Stimulus enhancement can be regarded as a case of **single-stimulus, [[Nonassociative learning involves a change in behavior as a result of exposure to a single stimulus|nonassociative]] learning** where exposure to a single stimulus on its own changes the learner's subsequent behavior. This could involve both [[Habituation involves a decrease in response to a stimulus with repeated exposure|habituation]] and [[Sensitization involves an increase in response to a stimulus with repeated exposure|sensitization]], although the latter seems more relevant since it leads to further interaction with the stimulus. Importantly, stimulus enhancement requires some amount of **stimulus generalization**, i.e., learning that isn't restricted to the observed stimulus but that transfers to similar stimuli in different situations. %% ### ChatGPT Stimulus enhancement is one of the mechanisms of social learning where an individual's attention is drawn to a particular part of the environment or to certain objects due to the behavior of another individual. It's a way of learning from others without necessarily imitating their actions. In stimulus enhancement, an individual observes another interacting with an object or location, which results in an increased interest in that object or location. The observer doesn't necessarily copy the action or behavior of the demonstrator but is more likely to interact with the same object or visit the same location. For example, if a bird observes another bird pecking at a brightly colored fruit in a tree, the observing bird might later peck at the same type of brightly colored fruit. It's not imitating the exact action (as in, it might not peck in the same manner or at the same spot), but its behavior has been influenced by enhancing its interest in a specific stimulus – the brightly colored fruit. This mechanism plays a crucial role in social learning, especially in the animal kingdom. It helps direct the focus of an individual towards relevant parts of the environment, thereby enhancing learning efficiency. It also contributes to the spread of certain behaviors or preferences within a group or community. %% --- Created: [[2023-06-23]] Type: #permanent Topics: [[Learning (Index)]] Related notes: - [[What are the sociocultural mechanisms of learning and how do they work?]]