Question

The first time Mindy placed a piece of meat in her pet poodle's mouth, the poodle salivated. The poodle's salivation is a(n):

a. Unconditioned response
b. Conditioned response
c. Unconditioned stimulus
d. Conditioned stimulus

Answer 1

The poodle's salivation to meat in Mindy's scenario is an unconditioned response since it is an innate reaction to the unconditioned stimulus (the meat), which occurs without prior conditioning.

Step-by-step explanation:

The salivation of Mindy's pet poodle when first presented with a piece of meat is an example of an unconditioned response (a). This is a natural, unlearned reaction to a stimulus, in this case, the meat, which is considered an unconditioned stimulus. In the context of classical conditioning, an unconditioned response occurs automatically and does not require learning. Therefore, when the poodle salivates upon receiving the meat, this is due to the inherent nature of the food to elicit that response without prior training or conditioning.