Mrs. Park always caressed her daughter's forehead whenever she nursed her. Soon her daughter made sucking noises whenever anyone stroked her forehead. This illustrates __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

There is evidence here of early learning through classical conditioning. In this example, Mrs. Park is substituting the stroke on her daughter's forehead for the presence of food. The original stimulus, presence of food, causes the child to suck. Substituting a neutral stimulus (stroking the forehead, which originally evoked no response) eventually causes the child to suck whenever her forehead is stroked.

Mrs Park Always Caressed Her Daughter's Forehead Whenever She Nursed