In a series of conditioning experiments, a psychologist discovered that a rat readily made an association between the taste of flavored water and illness, but did not make an association between the taste of flavored water and a painful shock. The phenomenon called _____ best explains this example.
A) latent learning
B) stimulus discrimination
C) biological preparedness
D) instinctive drift

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Biological preparedness refers to the idea that certain associations are easier and more likely to be learned because they are biologically relevant to survival. In this case, the rat is easily making an association between the taste of flavored water and illness because it is biologically important for the rat to avoid potentially harmful substances. However, the rat does not make an association between the taste of flavored water and a painful shock because there is no biological relevance to this association.

In a Series of Conditioning Experiments, a Psychologist Discovered That