In order to teach an animal to salivate when only a certain tone is played, you must
A) sound the tone and present the food when the dog salivates correctly.
B) present food before every tone, but let the animal eat it only when it's the right tone.
C) only pair food with the one tone you want the animal to salivate to.
D) pair the food with all the tones, but add noxious substances to it when ringing the wrong tone.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is the process of classical conditioning, where a previously neutral stimulus (the tone) is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (the food) to eventually produce a conditioned response (salivation to the tone alone). In order for the animal to learn to associate the tone with the food, the food must only be presented with the specific tone that is being conditioned. Pairing food with all tones (D) or presenting food before every tone (B) can confuse the animal and prevent effective learning. Punishment or aversive methods (D) are not necessary and can be harmful to the animal's welfare.

In Order to Teach an Animal to Salivate When Only