Question 1

What term did Pavlov use to describe the originally neutral stimulus that, after association, triggers a conditioned response?

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus (CS). It begins as a neutral stimulus and acquires the ability to elicit a response after repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 2

In classical conditioning, what is the term for the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response when the CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS?

Accepted Answer

Extinction. The conditioned response diminishes because the CS no longer predicts the UCS.

Question 3

After extinction, a conditioned response reappears briefly following a rest period without any additional training. What is this phenomenon called?

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery. The extinguished CR returns temporarily when the CS is presented again after a pause, showing that extinction suppresses rather than erases the association.

Question 4

A dog conditioned to salivate to a 1000 Hz tone also salivates to an 800 Hz tone it has never heard. What classical conditioning process explains this?

Accepted Answer

Stimulus generalization. The organism responds to stimuli similar to the original CS, even without direct conditioning to those stimuli.

Question 5

What classical conditioning process occurs when an organism learns to respond only to a specific CS and not to other similar stimuli?

Accepted Answer

Stimulus discrimination. The organism distinguishes between the conditioned stimulus and other similar stimuli that have not been paired with the UCS.

AP Psychology: Learning & Conditioning

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