Final answer:
In Pavlov's study, the dogs salivating to the unconditioned stimulus of food is called the unconditioned response. This is a natural, automatic reaction to a stimulus that occurs without prior conditioning. The reaction to a conditioned stimulus, such as a bell after conditioning, is considered a conditioned response.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Pavlov's famous study, the dogs salivating when food was put in their mouths is the unconditioned response. An unconditioned response is a natural, reflexive reaction that occurs in response to an unconditioned stimulus. In Pavlov's experiments, the meat powder served as the unconditioned stimulus that naturally and automatically triggered the salivation reflex in dogs. Initially, before any conditioning took place, the presence of meat powder would cause the dogs to salivate without any prior learning or association, hence the term 'unconditioned'. This physiological response did not require any previous experience or learning curve; it was an innate reaction to the presence of food.
After conditioning, the dogs began to salivate in response to a previously neutral stimulus, such as the bell, when it became associated with the presentation of food. At this point, the salivation was considered a conditioned response because it was learned rather than innate.