Most young children put their hands over their ears when they hear the loud boom of firecrackers at a Fourth of July festival,but at first pay scant attention to the person lighting the firecrackers.However,after just a few firecrackers have been exploded,some of the children put their hands over their ears as soon as they see the person approach the firecracker with a match! What is the conditioned stimulus?
A)the person lighting the firecrackers
B)the loud booming sound made by the firecrackers
C)the children putting their hands over their ears when they see the person about to light the firecrackers
D)the children putting their hands over their ears when the firecrackers explode

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus is the person lighting the firecrackers because the children have learned to associate the person with the loud booming sound made by the firecrackers, which is the unconditioned stimulus. Over time, the children have developed a conditioned response of putting their hands over their ears when they see the person about to light the firecrackers, even before the loud boom occurs. The response of putting their hands over their ears when the firecrackers explode is the conditioned response.

Most Young Children Put Their Hands Over Their Ears When