stimulation

/stɪmjuˈleɪʃɪn/

/stɪmjuˈleɪʃən/

Other forms: stimulations

Stimulation spurs an organism to act. It can also be any specific event that causes someone to do something.

Have you ever had a teacher who made you excited about a subject you didn't like before, causing you to study harder and learn more? That teacher must've provided stimulation: through the teacher, you were motivated to give more effort to the class. Like a stimulant, stimulation causes things to happen. A doctor hitting your knee is a type of stimulation that makes your leg jerk up. In zoos, animals are provided with food-based stimulation to make them exercise.

Definitions of stimulation

1. noun

   the act of arousing an organism to action
   types:

   galvanisation, galvanization

   stimulation that arouses a person to lively action

   type of:

   arousal, rousing

   the act of arousing
2. noun

   any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action
   synonyms: input, stimulant, stimulus

   types:

   elicitation, evocation, induction

   stimulation that calls up (draws forth) a particular class of behaviors

   kick

   the sudden stimulation provided by strong drink (or certain drugs)

   turn-on

   something causing excitement or stimulating interest

   negative stimulation, turnoff

   something causing antagonism or loss of interest

   conditioned stimulus

   the stimulus that is the occasion for a conditioned response

   reinforcement, reinforcer, reinforcing stimulus

   (psychology) a stimulus that strengthens or weakens the behavior that produced it

   cue, discriminative stimulus

   a stimulus that provides information about what to do

   positive stimulus

   a stimulus with desirable consequences

   negative stimulus

   a stimulus with undesirable consequences

   positive reinforcer, positive reinforcing stimulus

   a reinforcing stimulus that serves to increase the likelihood of the response that produces it

   negative reinforcer, negative reinforcing stimulus

   a reinforcing stimulus whose removal serves to decrease the likelihood of the response that produced it

   bonus, fillip

   an additional benefit, reward, or extra added to something else

   delight, joy, pleasure

   something or someone that provides a source of happiness

   annoyance, bother, botheration, infliction, pain, pain in the neck

   something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness

   aversive stimulus

   any negative stimulus to which an organism will learn to make a response that avoids it

   concern, headache, vexation, worry

   something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

   grief, sorrow

   something that causes great unhappiness

   type of:

   information

   knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction
3. noun

   (physiology) the effect of a stimulus (on nerves or organs etc.)
   types:

   activation

   stimulation of activity in an organism or chemical

   galvanisation, galvanization

   stimulation with a galvanic current

   indweller

   activation by an inner spirit or force or principle

   type of:

   action, activity, natural action, natural process

   a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)
4. noun

   mutual sexual fondling prior to sexual intercourse
   synonyms: arousal

   types:

   caressing, cuddling, fondling, hugging, kissing, necking, petting, smooching, snuggling

   affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)

   snogging

   (British informal) cuddle and kiss

   type of:

   sex, sex activity, sexual activity, sexual practice

   activities associated with sexual intercourse