Ivan Pavlov studied the reflexive flow of saliva in dogs. He used meat powder or other food to trigger the salivation. It was later observed that the salivation in the dog was triggered even before the food was placed in its mouth. In this experiment, ________ was the unconditioned response.
A) food
B) thoughts of anticipation
C) salivation
D) the sight of the food dish

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Salivation is the unconditioned response in this experiment because it is a natural, reflexive response to the presence of food. The food acts as the unconditioned stimulus, meaning it naturally triggers the response without any prior learning or conditioning. Over time, through the process of classical conditioning, a new conditioned response (such as salivation at the sound of a bell) may be learned, but initially, the salivation response is unconditioned.

Ivan Pavlov Studied the Reflexive Flow of Saliva in Dogs