Carrie fed her cat canned tuna fish that was opened with an electric can opener. Even when she was merely opening a can of corn, her cat responded physically as if it were about to be fed. In this example, the unconditioned stimulus is the

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the naturally occurring stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response. In this case, the canned tuna fish is the unconditioned stimulus as it elicits a natural response (hunger) from the cat. The sound of the electric can opener and eating behaviours are not unconditioned stimuli, as they do not elicit a natural response in the cat. The corn is irrelevant to the cat's response, as it is not part of the conditioned stimulus.

Carrie Fed Her Cat Canned Tuna Fish That Was Opened