What does presenting a previously neutral stimulus along with an established reinforcer describe?

The concept of presenting a previously neutral stimulus along with an established reinforcer is best described as stimulus pairing. This process involves associating a neutral stimulus (which initially does not elicit a response) with an established reinforcer (a stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior when presented). Over time, this pairing can lead to the neutral stimulus acquiring reinforcing properties itself. This is a critical concept within behavioral psychology, especially in the context of behavior analysis, as it illustrates how new learning can occur through associations, influencing subsequent behaviors. For example, if a light is consistently presented alongside a treat (the established reinforcer), the light may eventually evoke a similar response as the treat when presented alone, demonstrating how stimulus pairing works to create new learning associations.

The other options do not accurately capture this specific interaction. For instance, effective reinforcement is more about the outcome of a reinforcer in increasing behavior, whereas stimulus discrimination involves distinguishing between different stimuli based on their effects. Response conditioning generally does not focus specifically on the pairing of a neutral stimulus with an established reinforcer. Thus, stimulus pairing is the most appropriate term to describe this phenomenon.