Question 1

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. The conditioned stimulus in this situation is
A) the special napkins.
B) the fried chicken.
C) Andrea's mother.
D) salivation.

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus in this situation is the special napkins because Andrea has learned to associate them with her favourite food, fried chicken, and as a result, her salivation response has become conditioned to the presence of the napkins. The fried chicken is the unconditioned stimulus that initially elicited the salivation response, but now the napkins have become a signal or cue that predicts the arrival of the chicken. Andrea's mother and salivation are not conditioned stimuli in this scenario.

Question 2

Carrie fed her cat canned tuna that was opened with an electric can opener. Even when she was merely opening a can of corn, her cat responded physically as if it were about to be fed. In this example, the conditioned stimulus is the
A) sound of the electric can opener.
B) eating behaviours.
C) corn.
D) tuna.

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus is the sound of the electric can opener because it has become associated with the act of getting fed, causing the cat to physically respond as if it were about to be fed even when it is not actually receiving food. The eating behaviours are the conditioned response, which have been learned through association with the sound of the can opener and the act of being fed. Corn and tuna are not directly related to the conditioning process in this example, although they may have been used as the actual food rewards during the conditioning process.

Question 3

Articles of clothing or other features that are repeatedly paired with sexual arousal or pleasure may become ________ for such reactions.
A) unconditioned responses
B) conditioned responses
C) conditioned stimuli
D) unconditioned stimuli

Accepted Answer

Conditioned stimuli are neutral stimuli that, after being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus, begin to elicit a conditioned response. In this context, articles of clothing or other features become conditioned stimuli when they are repeatedly associated with sexual arousal or pleasure.

Question 4

A puff of air on the surface of your eye will make you blink reflexively. If you hear a buzzer repeatedly just before air is puffed into your eye, eventually you will blink as soon as you hear the buzzer. In this example, the unconditioned stimulus is the
A) eye-blink response to the puff of air.
B) puff of air.
C) buzzer.
D) eye-blink response to the buzzer.

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the puff of air, which is the stimulus that elicits the unconditioned response of blinking. The buzzer is the conditioned stimulus that, through pairing with the puff of air, eventually produces a conditioned response of blinking in anticipation of the air being puffed.

Question 5

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. The special napkins in this situation are the
A) unconditioned response.
B) conditioned response.
C) unconditioned stimulus.
D) conditioned stimulus.

Accepted Answer

The special napkins were originally a neutral stimulus, but through repeated association with the presentation of fried chicken (which is the unconditioned stimulus), they have become a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response (salivation) from Andrea.

Question 6

Carrie fed her cat canned tuna that was opened with an electric can opener. Even when she was merely opening a can of corn, her cat responded physically as if it were about to be fed. In this example, the unconditioned stimulus is the
A) corn.
B) tuna.
C) sound of the electric can opener.
D) eating behaviours.

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the canned tuna because it naturally elicits a response from the cat (i.e. physical response as if it were about to be fed) without any prior learning or conditioning. The sound of the electric can opener and eating behaviors can be considered conditioned stimuli because they become associated with the tuna through learning and conditioning. The corn is not relevant to the example.

Question 7

Allison is a fashion model, so cameras and flashbulbs are a part of her life. She responds to the click of a camera with a slight contraction of her pupils, even when a flashbulb is not being used. This contraction of her pupils is an example of
A) an unconditioned response.
B) a conditioned response.
C) a discriminatory response.
D) a reflexive response.

Accepted Answer

Allison's slight contraction of her pupils in response to the click of a camera is a learned response, meaning it is not an unconditioned response. It is also not a discriminatory or reflexive response, as these terms do not accurately describe the specific behavior observed. Therefore, the best choice is B, a conditioned response, which refers to a behavior that is learned through association with a specific stimulus.

Question 8

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. The unconditioned stimulus in this situation is
A) Andrea's mother.
B) salivation.
C) the fried chicken.
D) the special napkins.

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is the fried chicken because it naturally causes salivation in Andrea. The special napkins are a conditioned stimulus (CS) because they have become associated with the fried chicken, and now also cause salivation in Andrea.

Question 9

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. Salivating to the sight of the napkins in this situation is the
A) conditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned response.
C) unconditioned response.
D) unconditioned stimulus.

Accepted Answer

Salivating to the sight of the napkins is a response that has been learned through association with the fried chicken, which is the unconditioned stimulus. Therefore, seeing the special napkins has become a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response of salivation.

Question 10

In classical conditioning, which element functions as a signal?
A) the unconditioned stimulus
B) the conditioned response
C) the conditioned stimulus
D) the unconditioned response

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus functions as a signal in classical conditioning, as it is a previously neutral stimulus that now elicits a response due to its association with the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 11

For years, Sylvester the cat has been fed canned tuna that has been opened with an electric can opener. Now Sylvester races into the kitchen every time he hears the can opener. What is the unconditioned stimulus in this example?
A) the sound of the can opener
B) Sylvester's owner
C) food other than his
D) the tuna

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the tuna because it is a stimulus that naturally elicits a response (hunger) without any prior conditioning. Sylvester's response of racing into the kitchen is the unconditioned response. The sound of the can opener and the association with feeding the tuna is the conditioned stimulus and response.

Question 12

Two-year-old Rick was playing with a balloon when it burst and made an extremely loud noise, causing him to cry. Now, whenever Rick sees a balloon, he becomes frightened. In this situation, the loud noise is the
A) unconditioned response.
B) conditioned stimulus.
C) conditioned response.
D) unconditioned stimulus.

Accepted Answer

The loud noise is the unconditioned stimulus because it naturally (without prior conditioning) caused Rick to cry, which is an unconditioned response. The fear response to the balloon (conditioned stimulus) developed after the association was made between the balloon and the loud noise.

Question 13

Little Tammy is frightened by thunder and cries when she hears it. During a season of frequent electrical storms, thunder is always preceded by lightning. Now Tammy cries as soon as she sees lightning, before the thunder can be heard. In this example, the conditioned stimulus is
A) lightning.
B) crying at the sight of lightning.
C) thunder.
D) crying at the sound of thunder.

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus is the one that triggers a response due to association with the unconditioned stimulus. In this case, lightning is the conditioned stimulus because it was not originally the cause of Tammy's crying, but now triggers it due to association with the unconditioned stimulus (thunder).

Question 14

After repeatedly pairing a conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, a trainer presents the conditioned stimulus alone, and the subject responds with
A) a conditioned stimulus.
B) a conditioned response.
C) an unconditioned stimulus.
D) an unconditioned response.

Accepted Answer

The subject will respond with a conditioned response, which is a learned response to the conditioned stimulus. The conditioned response is usually similar to the unconditioned response that was originally elicited by the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 15

In classical conditioning, what is the term for a neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a response because it has been paired repeatedly with another stimulus that reliably elicits that response?
A) unconditioned stimulus
B) conditioned reflex
C) conditioned stimulus
D) aversive stimulus

Accepted Answer

A conditioned stimulus is a neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a response because it has been paired repeatedly with another stimulus that reliably elicits that response. The other options are not accurate descriptions of this concept. A) An unconditioned stimulus elicits a response without any prior learning. B) A conditioned reflex is another term for a conditioned response, which is the learned response to the conditioned stimulus. D) An aversive stimulus is a stimulus that is unpleasant or punishing, and may be used in classical or operant conditioning.

Question 16

Morgana was once frightened by big, barking dogs-she now cries when she sees a dog. After this has occurred many times, Morgana now also cries at the sight of a dog leash or collar. In this example, the conditioned stimulus is
A) crying at seeing a leash or collar.
B) the leash or collar.
C) the dog.
D) crying at hearing a dog.

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus is the leash or collar because it is a previously neutral stimulus that has become associated with the feared stimulus (the dog), leading to the same emotional response (crying).

Question 17

Salivating when you are eating steak is ________ response; salivating when you see a thick steak being barbecued on television is ________ response.
A) an unconditioned; an unconditioned
B) a conditioned; a conditioned
C) an unconditioned; a conditioned
D) a conditioned; an unconditioned

Accepted Answer

Salivating when eating steak is an unconditioned response because it is a natural, reflexive reaction to the presence of food. Salivating at the sight of steak on television is a conditioned response, as it is learned through association with the actual eating experience.

Question 18

For years, Sylvester the cat has been fed canned tuna that has been opened with an electric can opener. Now Sylvester races into the kitchen every time he hears the can opener. What is the conditioned stimulus in this example?
A) the tuna
B) Sylvester's owner
C) the sound of the can opener
D) running to the kitchen

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus in this example is the sound of the can opener. Over time, Sylvester has learned to associate the sound of the can opener with the presentation of the food, and now this sound alone triggers his response of running to the kitchen.

Question 19

In which of the following does a stimulus that cannot initially elicit a response acquire the ability to do so as a result of repeated pairing with the stimulus that does elicit the response?
A) observational conditioning
B) operant conditioning
C) classical conditioning
D) vicarious conditioning

Accepted Answer

This is the definition of classical conditioning, where a previously neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus) gains the ability to elicit a response (conditioned response) after repeated pairings with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally elicits the response. Observational conditioning involves learning by observing others, operant conditioning involves learning the consequences of one's own behaviors, and vicarious conditioning involves learning through experiencing the consequences of others' behaviors.

Question 20

Morgana was once frightened by big, barking dogs-she now cries when she sees a dog. After this has occurred many times, Morgana now also cries at the sight of a dog leash or collar. In this example, the conditioned response is
A) the sound of barking.
B) crying at hearing a dog.
C) crying at seeing a dog leash or collar.
D) the dog.

Accepted Answer

The conditioned response is the response that is learned through conditioning, in this case crying. The stimulus that elicits this response is the sight of a dog leash or collar, which is now associated with the conditioned stimulus of a dog due to repeated pairings during conditioning. The sound of barking (A) may have originally triggered the fear response, but it is not the conditioned response. Cryin at hearing a dog (B) is not mentioned as a response to the stimulus, so it cannot be the conditioned response. The dog itself (D) is the unconditioned stimulus that initially elicited the fear response, but it is not the conditioned response either.

Quiz 5: Learning

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. The conditioned stimulus in this situation is

Carrie fed her cat canned tuna that was opened with an electric can opener. Even when she was merely opening a can of corn, her cat responded physically as if it were about to be fed. In this example, the conditioned stimulus is the

Articles of clothing or other features that are repeatedly paired with sexual arousal or pleasure may become ________ for such reactions.

A puff of air on the surface of your eye will make you blink reflexively. If you hear a buzzer repeatedly just before air is puffed into your eye, eventually you will blink as soon as you hear the buzzer. In this example, the unconditioned stimulus is the

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. The special napkins in this situation are the

Carrie fed her cat canned tuna that was opened with an electric can opener. Even when she was merely opening a can of corn, her cat responded physically as if it were about to be fed. In this example, the unconditioned stimulus is the

Allison is a fashion model, so cameras and flashbulbs are a part of her life. She responds to the click of a camera with a slight contraction of her pupils, even when a flashbulb is not being used. This contraction of her pupils is an example of

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. The unconditioned stimulus in this situation is

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. Salivating to the sight of the napkins in this situation is the

In classical conditioning, which element functions as a signal?

For years, Sylvester the cat has been fed canned tuna that has been opened with an electric can opener. Now Sylvester races into the kitchen every time he hears the can opener. What is the unconditioned stimulus in this example?

Two-year-old Rick was playing with a balloon when it burst and made an extremely loud noise, causing him to cry. Now, whenever Rick sees a balloon, he becomes frightened. In this situation, the loud noise is the

Little Tammy is frightened by thunder and cries when she hears it. During a season of frequent electrical storms, thunder is always preceded by lightning. Now Tammy cries as soon as she sees lightning, before the thunder can be heard. In this example, the conditioned stimulus is

After repeatedly pairing a conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, a trainer presents the conditioned stimulus alone, and the subject responds with

In classical conditioning, what is the term for a neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a response because it has been paired repeatedly with another stimulus that reliably elicits that response?

Morgana was once frightened by big, barking dogs-she now cries when she sees a dog. After this has occurred many times, Morgana now also cries at the sight of a dog leash or collar. In this example, the conditioned stimulus is

Salivating when you are eating steak is response; salivating when you see a thick steak being barbecued on television is response.

For years, Sylvester the cat has been fed canned tuna that has been opened with an electric can opener. Now Sylvester races into the kitchen every time he hears the can opener. What is the conditioned stimulus in this example?

In which of the following does a stimulus that cannot initially elicit a response acquire the ability to do so as a result of repeated pairing with the stimulus that does elicit the response?

Morgana was once frightened by big, barking dogs-she now cries when she sees a dog. After this has occurred many times, Morgana now also cries at the sight of a dog leash or collar. In this example, the conditioned response is