Alec wants to train his dog Magnus to sit on command. To achieve this goal, Alec starts by giving Magnus a strip of bacon and saying "sit" every time Magnus sits. A day later, Alec gives Magnus a strip of bacon and a pat on the head and says "sit" every time Magnus sits. Magnus seems to learn to sit on command. However, after a few days of training, Alec notices that Magnus now salivates and wags his tail whenever he hears the word "sit."
-Magnus starts wagging his tail and salivating when he hears Alec say the word "sit" because of __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Magnus developed a conditioned response to the word "sit" because the word became associated with the presentation of a desirable reward (bacon and a pat on the head). This is an example of classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus (the word "sit") becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (the reward) and produces a conditioned response (tail wagging and salivation).

Alec Wants to Train His Dog Magnus to Sit on Command