Bryn adopted her cat, Minnie, from the local shelter. She feeds Minnie dry food, but the previous owner fed her only canned food. Every time Bryn opens her refrigerator, her new cat comes running. Bryn never gives Minnie food after she opens the refrigerator, however, so eventually the cat stops showing up. The cat's learned response to the sound of the refrigerator being opened has been
A)generalized.
B)extinguished.
C)habituated.
D)recovered spontaneously.
E)discrimination.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The cat's learned response to the sound of the refrigerator being opened has been extinguished because the cat stopped showing up when the refrigerator was opened, indicating that the conditioned response (coming when the fridge opens) was lost after the conditioned stimulus (the sound of the fridge opening) was no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus (receiving food).

Bryn Adopted Her Cat, Minnie, from the Local Shelter