Final answer:
When an animal develops a context-CS association, it learns to link a specific environment with a conditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response in that context.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an animal develops a context-CS association, it learns to associate a specific context or environment with a conditioned stimulus (CS), which can result in a conditioned response (CR) when the animal is later exposed to that environment. For example, a dog hearing a bell (CS) might salivate (CR) if it has previously been in an environment where the bell was paired with food (unconditioned stimulus or US). On the other hand, a context-US association means that the context or environment becomes associated with the US itself, potentially altering the animal's response in that environment.
For instance, the presence of a mother rat can change the association a rat pup makes with an odor and an electrical shock. If the mother is present, the pup might not develop a fear of the odor cue despite its association with a shock (US), a phenomenon with implications for understanding how context influences learning and behavior.