Question

Molly was ecstatic when she learned her family was going to the state fair next weekend. When her family arrived at the state fair the temperature was in excess of 100°F, but Molly didn't care because she was finally there. Molly stopped and watched some clowns performing next to the carousel. As she watched the silly antics of the clowns with the carousel music playing in the background, Molly got more and more sweaty and uncomfortable. Eventually, she fainted from the heat. After that trip to the state fair, every time Molly hears carousel musical she feels a little dizzy.What is the unconditioned stimulus?

Answer 1

The unconditioned stimulus in Molly's scenario is the excessive heat at the state fair, which naturally caused her to faint without the need for prior conditioning.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario described, Molly's fainting from the heat at the state fair is the result of an unconditioned stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus refers to a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a physiological or emotional response without previous conditioning. In Molly's case, the excessive heat would be the unconditioned stimulus because it directly caused her to faint without any prior learning or conditioning involved.

Later, when Molly hears carousel music and feels a little dizzy, this indicates that the carousel music has become a conditioned stimulus that elicits a faint response or dizziness, even without the presence of the initial unconditioned stimulus, which is the high temperature.