Veronica had been working at Zenex Industries for 8 months when her boss asked to see her in his office. She thought he wanted to talk about a promotion so she was quite excited, but instead of giving her a promotion, the boss told Veronica she was being laid off as a result of company downsizing. Veronica could feel her heart pounding as she listened to the news. Veronica was able to get a new job, but every time her new boss asks to talk to her in private, Veronica feels a little faint. In this example, the unconditioned response is
A) the bad news from her boss at Zenex Industries.
B) her new boss asking for a private meeting.
C) her pounding heart when she heard she was being laid off.
D) the faintness she feels when her new boss wants to talk to her in private.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The unconditioned response is the automatic response that occurs without any conditioning or training. In this scenario, the unconditioned response is Veronica's pounding heart when she heard she was being laid off. This response was not learned or conditioned but was a natural reaction to receiving the bad news from her boss. The faintness she feels when her new boss wants to talk to her in private would be considered a conditioned response, as it is a learned response to a specific situation.

Veronica Had Been Working at Zenex Industries for 8 Months