Final answer:
In the example of Miranda's cat and the electric can opener, the sound of the can opener is considered the conditioned stimulus (CS) which elicits the conditioned response (salivation) due to classical conditioning. Through repeated pairing with food, the can opener's sound has become associated with the arrival of food. This method of learning through association exemplifies the principles established by Pavlov in his experiments with dogs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Miranda notices that her cat salivates as soon as her cat hears the sound of the electric can opener. In this example, the sound of the can opener is the conditioned stimulus (CS). This concept comes from the psychological theory of classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus (in this case, the sound of the electric can opener) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (the cat's food which naturally causes salivation - an unconditioned response). Through repeated pairings, the cat has learned to link the sound of the can opener with the arrival of food, so the sound now elicits a conditioned response (the salivation) in anticipation of food.
In Pavlov's classical experiments with dogs, a similar process occurred where a neutral stimulus (a bell) that originally did not elicit salivation was repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus (meat powder that naturally caused salivation). Over time, the bell sound alone could evoke the dogs' salivation, thereby becoming a conditioned stimulus prompting a conditioned response.
The process where the connection between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus is diminished or broken is known as extinction. If the conditioned stimulus (the sound of the can opener) is presented repeatedly without being followed by the unconditioned stimulus (food), eventually, the animal would stop displaying the conditioned response (salivation).