For years, Sylvester the cat has been fed canned tuna fish that has been opened with an electric can opener. Now Sylvester races into the kitchen every time he hears the can opener. What is the unconditioned stimulus in this example?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the tuna fish, as it naturally triggers a response of hunger in Sylvester without any prior conditioning. The sound of the can opener is a neutral stimulus, which eventually becomes associated with the delivery of the tuna fish and becomes a conditioned stimulus that also triggers the response of hunger. Sylvester's owner and food other than his are not stimuli in this specific example that are directly related to the conditioning of his response to the sound of the can opener.

For Years, Sylvester the Cat Has Been Fed Canned Tuna