Seven-year-old Alfie is going to the eye doctor for the first time. One of the tests performed by the eye doctor is one that checks for pressure in the eye. To take this test, Alfie sits in a chair, places his forehead against an apparatus, and waits for instructions from the doctor. Then his eye is hit with a puff of air! While it doesn't hurt, it sure is startling and reflexively causes Alfie to blink. When the doctor says it's time to check the other eye, Alfie begins to blink as soon as he rests his head against the apparatus. What is the conditioned stimulus in this acquisition scenario?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus is the feeling of the apparatus against his forehead because it is the neutral stimulus that becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus (the puff of air) through conditioning. Initially, the apparatus had no effect on Alfie's blinking, but after being paired with the puff of air, it now elicits a blinking response.

Seven-Year-Old Alfie Is Going to the Eye Doctor for the First