Every time Bert slices onions,the onions burn his eyes and tears run down his face.One day,he opens the silverware drawer,pulls out the knife that he uses only to peel onions,and immediately starts to shed tears from the sight of the knife.In this situation,the onion is the ____,and the knife is the __________.
A) conditioned stimulus; unconditioned stimulus
B) unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus
C) conditioned response; unconditioned response
D) unconditioned response; conditioned response

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The onion is the unconditioned stimulus because it naturally causes Bert's eyes to tear up. The knife is the conditioned stimulus because it has become associated with the experience of cutting onions and now elicits the same response of tears even without the presence of the onion. Therefore, the best choice is B, where the onion is the unconditioned stimulus and the knife is the conditioned stimulus.

Every Time Bert Slices Onions,the Onions Burn His Eyes and Tears