Alexis uses cocaine,which activates her sympathetic nervous system.Expecting her dealer,her hands shake and her heart pounds.Which alternative below correctly identifies the neutral stimulus,the CS,and the US?
A) neutral stimulus - knock on the door; CS - cocaine; US - cocaine
B) neutral stimulus - knock on the door; CS - knock on the door; US - pounding heart
C) neutral stimulus - knock on the door; CS - knock on the door; US - cocaine
D) neutral stimulus - cocaine; CS - knock on the door; US - cocaine

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus (NS) is the stimulus that initially does not elicit a response. In the scenario described, the knock on the door is the NS. The conditioned stimulus (CS) is the cue that is associated with the drug use and later elicits a response. In this case, the knock on the door becomes the CS because it is associated with the drug use for Alexis. The unconditioned stimulus (US) is the stimulus that naturally elicits a response without any prior learning. In this case, the US is the cocaine since it elicits the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Therefore, the correct response is C where the NS is the knock on the door, the CS is the knock on the door, and the US is cocaine.

Alexis Uses Cocaine,which Activates Her Sympathetic Nervous System