Benny, an unfortunate family dog, has been brought up in an abusive environment; his owners routinely beat him with a broomstick. Now, Benny cries and whimpers anytime he sees a broom. In terms of classical conditioning, what is the broom in this example?
A) an unconditioned stimulus
B) a conditioned stimulus
C) a punisher
D) a negative reinforcer

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The broom in this example is a conditioned stimulus because it was previously neutral but became associated with pain and fear through the process of classical conditioning. Now, it elicits a fear response in Benny. Option A is incorrect because if the broom were an unconditioned stimulus, it would have always elicited a fear response, but that is not the case here. Option C is incorrect because a punisher decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring, but there is no behavior mentioned in this scenario. Option D is incorrect because a negative reinforcer is a stimulus that, when removed after a behavior, increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again, and that concept is not applicable in this situation.

Benny, an Unfortunate Family Dog, Has Been Brought Up in an Abusive