As a gate creaks open, Ollie the puppy notices a strange cat heading into the yard. The cat hisses and scratches Ollie on the nose, causing Ollie to yelp in pain. Which outcome to this scenario portrays higher order conditioning ?
A) Now when seeing the cat that scratched Ollie's nose, Ollie runs away, but Ollie still feels comfortable with the cat that lives in the same house with Ollie.
B) Now when seeing a cat or small dog approaching, Ollie immediately begins to yelp in pain .
C) Now seeing a cat, including the cat that lives in the same house, Ollie runs away .
D) Now when hearing a gate creak, regardless of who is coming through it, Ollie runs away .

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Higher order conditioning involves a stimulus that was previously neutral (in this case, the sound of a gate creaking) becoming a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response (running away) due to its association with another conditioned stimulus (the sight of a cat that scratched Ollie). This demonstrates how a new, unrelated stimulus can evoke a response through its association with an already established conditioned stimulus.

As a Gate Creaks Open, Ollie the Puppy Notices a Strange