Sol was given a prize at school one day. Although the prize was given by both the teacher (whom he knew well) and the principal (whom he didn't know), Sol repeatedly thanked only the teacher. This is an example of
A) latent inhibition.
B) blocking.
C) higher-order conditioning.
D) sensory preconditioning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Blocking occurs when a person fails to recognize or learn about a stimulus because a previously learned stimulus is already strongly associated with the desired response. In this case, Sol's prior relationship with the teacher blocked the association or acknowledgment of the principal's role in giving the prize.

Sol Was Given a Prize at School One Day