What is a conditioned stimulus?

• A. A stimulus that naturally triggers a response
• B. A previously neutral stimulus that now triggers a response
• C. The automatic response to a stimulus
• D. A stimulus that has no association

Answer: (B)

A conditioned stimulus is something that starts off as neutral and, after being paired with something that naturally triggers a response, comes to trigger that response on its own. In Pavlov’s classic setup, the bell begins as a neutral cue. When it’s repeatedly presented with meat powder, which naturally causes the dogs to salivate, the bell eventually elicits salivation by itself. That learned, elicited response is the conditioned response, and the bell becomes the conditioned stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus (meat powder) naturally triggers the response without any learning, and the automatic salivation to the meat powder is the unconditioned response. A stimulus with no association would not produce a conditioned response.