Final answer:
The chime in the laboratory experiment is a neutral stimulus as it does not initially elicit any response from the dog named Cleo.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is a. Neutral stimulus. In this scenario, the chime does not elicit any response from the dog named Cleo, indicating that the chime does not hold any inherent significance or association for the dog. It is considered a neutral stimulus because it does not initially evoke a response.
This concept of classical conditioning, famously demonstrated by Pavlov with his dogs, involves associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to eventually elicit a conditioned response. In Pavlov's experiment, the unconditioned stimulus was the food, the bell was the neutral stimulus, and the salivation of the dogs was the conditioned response.