The Rescorla-Wagner model predicts the blocking phenomenon by predicting that
A) the salience of the new CS used to form the compound is nonexistent relative to the CS of the first training phase.
B) the salience of the US decreases as training proceeds, such that its salience is zero by the time compound conditioning trials begin.
C) the effectiveness of US decreases as training proceeds, such that its value is zero by the time compound conditioning trials begin.
D) the associative strength of the first phase CS equals the size of the US by the time compound conditioning trials begin.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Rescorla-Wagner model explains the blocking phenomenon by suggesting that the associative strength of the conditioned stimulus (CS) from the first phase of training reaches a level where it fully predicts the unconditioned stimulus (US) by the time the second phase (compound conditioning) begins. This means that no additional associative strength is gained by the new CS introduced in the compound, because the US is already fully predicted by the first CS, blocking the association of the new CS with the US.

The Rescorla-Wagner Model Predicts the Blocking Phenomenon by Predicting That