The major difference between a CS and a US is
A) the order in which they are presented.
B) that one reliably elicits the response of interest prior to conditioning while the other does not.
C) that during conditioning the response to one increases while the response to the other decreases.
D) the strength of the response that each stimulus elicits.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A conditioned stimulus (CS) is a neutral stimulus that, after consistent pairing with an unconditioned stimulus (US), elicits a conditioned response (CR) without the presence of the US. The unconditioned stimulus is the one that naturally elicits the unconditioned response (UR). Therefore, the major difference between a CS and a US is that a US reliably elicits the response of interest prior to conditioning, while a CS does not. In other words, the US is already a naturally occurring stimulus that elicits a response, whereas the CS only gains the ability to elicit the CR after being paired with the US. The other choices may be true to some extent during the process of conditioning, but they do not distinguish between a CS and a US.

The Major Difference Between a CS and a US Is