Question

Dr. Rubio is conducting an experiment in classical conditioning. Shortly after playing music, she places a loaf of bread on the window sill outside her office window. After doing this a number of times, she notices that now, just as she begins to play her music, several birds fly to her window even before she presents the bread. In this example, what is the conditioned stimulus?

Answer 1

The conditioned stimulus in Dr. Rubio's experiment is the music. Through classical conditioning, the birds have learned to associate this music with the arrival of food, prompting them to fly to the window upon hearing it.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of Dr. Rubio's experiment, the conditioned stimulus is the music that she plays. Classical conditioning involves learning to associate a previously neutral stimulus (in this case, music) with an unconditioned stimulus (the loaf of bread) that naturally elicits an unconditioned response (birds coming to get the bread). Through repeated pairings, the once neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response, which is the birds flying to the window when they hear the music, expecting food.

Let's break down the elements involved in Dr. Rubio's experiment:

• The unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is the loaf of bread, which naturally causes the birds to come.
• The unconditioned response (UCR) is the birds flying towards the bread initially, as it is a natural action.
• The conditioned stimulus (CS) becomes the music once the birds learn to associate it with receiving food.
• The conditioned response (CR) is the birds flying to the window upon hearing the music, before the bread is shown.