Chapter 6: Problem 1
After repeatedly pairing a tone with meat powder, Pavlov found that a dog will salivate when the tone is presented. Salivation to the tone is \(a(n)\) A. unconditioned stimulus. B. unconditioned response. C. conditioned stimulus.
Short Answer
Expert verified
Answer: Conditioned Response
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Concepts
To answer the exercise, let's first understand the four main concepts involved in classical conditioning:
1. Unconditioned Stimulus (US): A stimulus that naturally leads to a specific response without any prior learning (e.g., the meat powder).
2. Unconditioned Response (UR): A natural, automatic response to an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., the dog's salivation due to the meat powder).
3. Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to elicit the same response (e.g., the tone after being paired with the meat powder).
4. Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to a previously neutral stimulus, which has become a conditioned stimulus (e.g., the dog's salivation in response to the tone).
02
Identify the Elements in the Exercise
Let's identify the elements of the exercise according to the previously explained concepts:
1. The tone, after being paired with the meat powder, would be the Conditioned Stimulus (CS).
2. The dog's salivation would be the Conditioned Response (CR).
03
Find the Correct Answer
Now that we have identified the elements within the exercise, we can find the correct answer:
A. Unconditioned Stimulus: This does not fit our situation, as the tone is not an unconditioned stimulus but rather a conditioned stimulus.
B. Unconditioned Response: This is also incorrect, since the dog's salivation in response to the tone is a conditioned response.
C. Conditioned Stimulus: This does not pertain to the dog's salivation but instead the tone, so it does not fit our answer.
D. Conditioned Response: This is the correct answer as it describes the dog's salivation when the tone is presented, which is a learned response resulting from the pairing of the tone and the meat powder.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Unconditioned Stimulus
The unconditioned stimulus (US) is a fundamental concept in classical conditioning, first discovered by Ivan Pavlov during his experiments with dogs. An unconditioned stimulus is any stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning or conditioning. In Pavlov's classic experiment, the meat powder serves as the unconditioned stimulus. This is because, without any prior associations or training, the meat powder naturally prompts the dog to salivate.
- Natural Trigger: The unconditioned stimulus is something that instinctively causes a response due to the organism's biology.
- No Learning Required: Unlike other types of stimuli, the response to an unconditioned stimulus doesn't require learning or conditioning.
Conditioned Stimulus
Conditioned stimulus (CS) is a critical part of classical conditioning. It describes a previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, gains the power to elicit a specific response. In Pavlov's experiment, the tone initially was a neutral stimulus that meant nothing to the dog. However, when consistently paired with the unconditioned stimulus (meat powder), the tone became a conditioned stimulus.
- Transformation through Association: The conditioned stimulus starts neutral and individually does not provoke a response, but through repeated pairings with an unconditioned stimulus, it acquires significance.
- Learned Trigger: It's only after a learning process that the conditioned stimulus can trigger a response similar to that of the unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned Response
A conditioned response (CR) is the learned behavior that arises when a neutral stimulus has been transformed into a conditioned stimulus. This results from the conditioning process led by a consistent association between the conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus. In Pavlov's example, the dog's salivation when hearing the tone is the conditioned response.
- Learned Behavior: Unlike unconditioned responses that are automatic, conditioned responses are acquired through learning and experience.
- Reflexive Reaction: Once established, a conditioned response is triggered reflexively when the conditioned stimulus is present, mirroring the natural response to the unconditioned stimulus.