While attending his first horror movie, Craven begins eating out of his box of popcorn. Craven likes popcorn and continues to eat during the film. After a few minutes, a crazed killer surprises a character in the film. The character's screaming reaction scares Craven, who spills popcorn all over himself. After the movie ends, Craven starts to leave the movie. He glances down, sees an overturned box of popcorn, and screams out in terror. A classical conditioning theorist would argue that popcorn has now become a(n) _____ that elicits a fear reaction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The initial response to the popcorn was neutral, as Craven simply liked eating it. However, after being scared during a scene in the horror movie, the sight of the popcorn became associated with fear, causing a conditioned response. Therefore, the popcorn has become a conditioned stimulus that now elicits a fear reaction in Craven.

While Attending His First Horror Movie, Craven Begins Eating Out