John B. Watson attempted to produce a phobia of white rats by classical conditioning. In his procedure, a white rat was the __________ and a loud noise was the __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus is the stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response, while the conditioned stimulus is a previously neutral stimulus that, after being repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually elicits the conditioned response. In Watson's procedure, the white rat was initially a neutral stimulus, but after being repeatedly paired with the loud noise (which naturally elicits fear), it became a conditioned stimulus that elicited fear (a conditioned response). Therefore, the white rat was the conditioned stimulus, and the loud noise was the unconditioned stimulus.

John B Watson Attempted to Produce a Phobia of White Rats