A researcher mistakenly makes the CS in his experiment slightly resemble a female quail in a study of sexual conditioning in male quail subjects.Due to this mistake, he is likely to find which of the following?
A)Conditioning proceeds more slowly because of CS pre-exposure effects.
B)Conditioning proceeds more rapidly because of increased salience.
C)Conditioning proceeds more slowly because of a lack of difference in biological strength between the CS and US.
D)There would be little effect because the US usually controls the rate of learning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mistake of making the CS slightly resemble a female quail would likely increase the salience of the CS to the male quail subjects, leading to more rapid conditioning. This is because the male quail would perceive the CS as being more similar to a potential mate, which would increase their motivation to associate it with the US (sexual stimuli). A and C are incorrect because pre-exposure effects and differences in biological strength between the CS and US would not be affected by the mistake in CS appearance. D is incorrect because although the presence of the US is necessary for conditioning, the characteristics of the CS can have a significant impact on the rate and strength of conditioning.

A Researcher Mistakenly Makes the CS in His Experiment Slightly