Question

An example of an unconditioned stimulus is

A. A clicker before the dog has heard it
B. A doorbell after 3 weeks of living in the house
C. A bowl of food the dog likes
D. The veterinarian office at the puppies first visit.

Answer 1

An unconditioned stimulus is something that elicits a natural response without prior learning, and in the context of the question, option C: A bowl of food the dog likes, is an example of an unconditioned stimulus.

Step-by-step explanation:

An example of an unconditioned stimulus is C. A bowl of food the dog likes. In classical conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus is something that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any learning. For instance, in Pavlov's famous experiments with dogs, the sight or smell of food (unconditioned stimulus) naturally caused the dogs to salivate (unconditioned response). This reaction did not require any prior conditioning. In contrast, a conditioned stimulus is something that triggers a response only after learning has occurred, as was the case with the ringing of a bell in Pavlov's experiments which, after conditioning, also led the dogs to salivate.