Surprise appears to play an important role in classical conditioning. In terms of surprise, which of the following is most important if effective conditioning is to occur?
A) the extent to which the US is surprising
B) the extent to which the UR is surprising
C) the extent to which the CR is reflexive
D) the extent to which the UR provides redundant information

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The extent to which the US (unconditioned stimulus) is surprising is most important for effective classical conditioning to occur. This is because the US should elicit a response (UR) that is surprising to the organism, which can then become associated with the conditioned stimulus (CS) through repeated pairings. If the US is not surprising or novel, it is less likely that the organism will form an association between the CS and the US.

Surprise Appears to Play an Important Role in Classical Conditioning