24.5 Generic Extension Echoic Example
Generic extension also occurs in the other elementary relationships. In the echoic relationship, the response would have to be evoked by “the same word” but it would have to be novel in either its pitch or intensity or some other irrelevant feature. The novel components of stimuli that control generic extensions are irrelevant features.
| Reinforced Response | Generic Extension |
|---|---|
| Saying “fox” when someone screams “FOX!” | Saying “fox” when someone whispers “fox” |
Generic Extension
An instance of verbal behavior with the following features:
The response form must be a previously learned one
The stimulus must be novel
The novel stimulus must have all of the relevant features of the stimulus that previously controlled the response
The type of elementary verbal relationship between the stimulus and the response
Formal and dynamic characteristics of the response
Formal or dynamic characteristics of the stimulus
Whether or not the current response is followed by reinforcement