Don was equally attracted to Sasha and Dominique, whom he dated separately. Over time, he learned to become very aroused by Sasha's style of dress and by Dominique's perfume. Later, he struck up a relationship with Marnie, who dressed like Sasha and wore the same perfume as Dominique. According to the Rescorla-Wagner theory, the amount of arousal Don experiences from the perfume alone will most likely _____.
A) increase
B) decrease
C) remain the same
D) fluctuate

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the Rescorla-Wagner theory, the amount of arousal Don experiences from the perfume alone will most likely decrease because the perfume is now paired with another conditioned stimulus (Sasha's style of dress), which dilutes the association between the perfume and the arousal. This theory suggests that the strength of a conditioned response diminishes when a conditioned stimulus is presented alongside another stimulus that already elicits a strong response.

Don Was Equally Attracted to Sasha and Dominique, Whom He