Most mornings, Misoo listens to her favorite song as she gets ready for work, including putting in her contacts. One afternoon, Misoo hears her favorite song playing, and her eyes start watering-something that usually happens only when she put her contacts in. If this is an example of classical conditioning, what is the unconditioned stimulus?
A) Eye watering
B) Misoo's contacts
C) The song
D) Getting ready for work

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the natural, instinctual trigger that leads to a specific response. In this case, the act of putting in Misoo's contacts is the unconditioned stimulus that naturally leads to her eyes watering. The song may have been paired with this stimulus in the past, leading to a conditioned response, but it is not the unconditioned stimulus itself. Getting ready for work is not a specific enough stimulus to be the unconditioned stimulus in this scenario.

Most Mornings, Misoo Listens to Her Favorite Song as She