Stimulus Control

Description of the Strategy

Stimulus control broadly refers to the ability of stimuli in the environment to influence behavior and, in the narrower sense, is a moniker for a self-control technique used to ameliorate certain types of behavior problems. In its broader scientific usage, the term describes the controlling relationship that develops between stimuli and behavior through association. For example, myriad stimuli in the environment are associated with the desire to eat: olfactory sensations (the smell of freshly baked bread), sights (a billboard of pizza with the extras), sounds (the clink of cutlery in a restaurant), and, of course, countless tastes. In these examples, the desire to eat is cued through its past association with stimuli previously associated with eating such that their ...