Stimulus Role

Definition

The role of a stimulus in a behavioral experiment is attributed to the processual entity or continuant which elicits activity from the subject in the context of the experiment.

Definition Source

JT

Parent Entity

BFO: role

Example

In an auditory oddball paradigm, the role of the stimulus is usually filled by the auditory tone or cluster of tones that are presented to the subject.

Relations to other CogPo Terms

An experimental condition requires something that plays the role of a stimulus.

UsageNote

In BrainMap (2009) this is similar to "stimulus type" which is defined as "a specific, physical stimulus presented to the subject during the experimental condition". All the different things that can play the role of a stimulus are a stimulus type.

Comments

Original suggestions included: "The occurrent or continuant (i.e., the thingie) which elicits activity from the subject in the experiment". Its suggested definition in other fields includes:

• Anything that may have an impact or influence on a system
• (physiology) Something external that elicits or influences a physiological or psychological activity or response.
• (psychology) Anything effectively impinging upon any of the sensory apparatuses of a living organism, including physical phenomena both internal and external to the body.
• Anything that induces a person to take action

However, we define it as a role so that ontologies of tones, lights, pictures, and other "things" can be imported as references to the objects which play the role of stimulus in a given experimental condition.

Created Date

2009/11/12

Curator

JT

Curation Status

pending_final_vetting

Related Concepts

This is a placeholder for concepts that play the role of stimuli, which hopefully will be automatically generated using Uecker's help.