The state or quality of standing out relative to other stimuli. It is a vital unconscious process that helps an organism efficiently use limited attentional resources and facilitates survival. In learning theory, salience refers to the strength of the relationship between a response and a reinforcer or outcome. In general, as the intensity of the outcome increases, the intensity of the response increases. In the framework of PDD testing, the intensity of arousal will increase commensurate with the perceived salience of stimuli as they relate to the subject’s goals, standards, and attitudes.
