A researcher conducts an experiment in which rats in one group (Group 1) receive 10 learning trials in which they receive a shock after a light is lit. Another group of rats (Group 2) receives the same 10 trials in which the shock is paired with the light, but they also receive 10 additional random trials in which the light is not followed by a shock.
According to the expectancy model of classical conditioning, we would expect the tone to become a conditioned stimulus for fear for the rats:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The expectancy model suggests that conditioning occurs when there is a reliable prediction of the unconditioned stimulus (shock) by the conditioned stimulus (light). In Group 1, the light consistently predicts the shock, leading to conditioning. In Group 2, the additional trials where the light is not followed by a shock reduce the reliability of the light as a predictor, weakening the conditioning.

A Researcher Conducts an Experiment in Which Rats in One