Question

Considering Pavlov's classical conditioning experiments, which of the following was the unconditioned response (UCR) before conditioning occurred?

Select one:
a. salivation
b. hearing the bell
c. seeing the assistant
d. seeing the meat powder

Answer 1

In Pavlov's experiments, 'salivation' was the unconditioned response (UCR) before the conditioning occurred, which was a reflexive reaction to the unconditioned stimulus of meat powder.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Pavlov's classical conditioning experiments, the unconditioned response (UCR) before conditioning occurred was salivation. The unconditioned response is a natural reflexive reaction to a stimulus which, in this case, was the salivation of the dogs in response to the unconditioned stimulus of seeing or smelling their food.

During the experiments, Pavlov presented a neutral stimulus, the bell's tone, immediately before the unconditioned stimulus, which was the meat powder. Initially, the bell did not cause salivation, but after repeated pairings of the bell with the meat powder, the bell's tone became a conditioned stimulus (CS), and salivation became the conditioned response (CR).