What does stimulus control refer to in behavior analysis?

Stimulus control refers to the phenomenon in behavior analysis where the likelihood of a behavior occurring is significantly influenced by the presence of a specific stimulus. When a response becomes more probable in the presence of a particular stimulus, it indicates that the behavior is under the control of that stimulus. For example, if a child learns that they receive a reward for raising their hand when the teacher asks a question, the sight of the teacher (the stimulus) may increase the likelihood of the child raising their hand (the response).

This concept is crucial in understanding how behaviors are shaped and modified, as well as in developing interventions that leverage the presence of specific stimuli to encourage desired behaviors. The other options do not accurately reflect the primary concept of stimulus control as they either imply a decrease in behavior in the presence of stimuli or suggest that behavior occurs irrespective of any stimuli, which does not illustrate the essence of how stimulus control functions in behavior analysis.