A patient starts chemotherapy and becomes ill each time after he receives it. After a few weeks of treatment, he develops anticipatory nausea at the mere sight of the waiting room at the hospital. In this instance, the unconditioned stimulus would be considered the _______________.
A)chemotherapy
B)waiting room
C)nausea induced by the chemotherapy
D)nausea induced by the waiting room

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the chemotherapy because it naturally (without prior conditioning) causes the nausea. The patient's illness after receiving chemotherapy is an unconditioned response, which becomes associated with the waiting room (a conditioned stimulus) over time, leading to anticipatory nausea (a conditioned response) before the treatment.

A Patient Starts Chemotherapy and Becomes Ill Each Time After