When Jennifer first came home from the hospital as a baby, she had colic and often cried. Her parents were terribly worried about her and became distressed whenever she would begin to sob. Although Jennifer is now nearly four, and the colic has long since disappeared, her parents both experience a sense of restlessness and anxiety whenever they hear a baby crying. In this situation, the parents' anxiety is a(n)

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The parents' anxiety is a conditioned response because it has been learned through association. Initially, their anxiety was directly caused by Jennifer's colic-induced crying (an unconditioned stimulus leading to an unconditioned response). Over time, the sound of any baby crying (now a conditioned stimulus) triggers their anxiety (a conditioned response), even though the original cause (colic) is no longer present.

When Jennifer First Came Home from the Hospital as a Baby