Carson used to really enjoy lime sherbet, and when he was in Mexico he tried frozen lime margaritas. After his fourth margarita Carson became extremely ill. Now he finds that even the sight of lime sherbet in a bowl can make him feel queasy. In this example, the unconditioned stimulus is
A) the lime margaritas that Carson consumed.
B) the illness that followed the fourth margarita.
C) the sight of lime sherbet.
D) the queasiness that Carson feels when he sees lime sherbet.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the event that naturally triggers a response without prior conditioning. In this case, the illness that followed the fourth margarita is the unconditioned stimulus because it is what naturally caused Carson to feel sick, without any prior conditioning. The sight of lime sherbet and the queasiness that Carson feels when he sees lime sherbet are conditioned responses that developed because they were associated with the unconditioned stimulus of becoming ill after consuming lime margaritas.

Carson Used to Really Enjoy Lime Sherbet, and When He