← AP Psychology: Learning & Conditioning

AP Psychology Exam Sample Test

Try 5 free practice questions with instant feedback. See how ready you are.

Loading quiz...

Sample Questions

Question 1

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

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?

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?

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?

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?

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