Question

Ryan was really looking forward to lunch because his mother had prepared a tuna salad sandwich. Unfortunately, the mayonnaise she used had been left out too long and was spoiled. Not long after eating the sandwich, Ryan felt sick and had to rush to the bathroom. Thereafter, the mere mention of a tuna sandwich would make Ryan nauseous.

What is the unconditioned stimulus?
a. the tuna
b. the old mayo
c. feeling nauseous
d. looking forward to lunch
2. What is the unconditioned response?
3. What is the neutral stimulus that becomes the conditioned stimulus?
4. What is the conditioned response?

Answer 1

1. What is the unconditioned stimulus? b. the old mayo

2. What is the unconditioned response? Getting sick.

3. What is the neutral stimulus that becomes the conditioned stimulus? The mention of a tuna sandwich

4. What is the conditioned response? Nausea.

Step-by-step explanation:

• An unconditioned stimulus is one that triggers a response, a reaction, naturally, automatically. Feeling sick after eating spoiled mayonnaise is a natural response of our bodies. Therefore, in this case, the old mayo is the unconditioned stimulus that caused the reaction.

• The unconditioned response is precisely the natural, automatic reaction we have to a stimulus. In this case, getting sick is the unconditioned response.

• The tuna sandwich, before the episode with the old mayo, was a neutral stimulus. It did not cause any particular reaction upon being mentioned. However, Ryan associated the sandwich he ate - the one with bad mayo - with the feeling of sickness he had afterwards. Now, the tuna sandwich has become a conditioned stimulus, making him feel nauseous.

• Finally, the nausea Ryan feels is the conditioned response, that is, the reaction he has to the conditioned stimulus.