In an experiment studying classical conditioning,a tone sounds and 5 seconds later a mild skin shock is delivered to a participant.The skin shock results in a stress response consisting of a temporary increase in heart rate.This process is repeated once every 5 minutes.After a number of trials,the participant demonstrates an elevated heart rate when the tone sounds and before the shock is actually delivered.Within the context of this example,what is the CS?
A)the shock
B)the tone
C)the stress
D)the time interval

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The CS (conditioned stimulus) is the tone that is sounded before the shock is delivered. The participant learns to associate the tone with the impending shock, and therefore their heart rate increases in response to the tone alone. The shock is the UCS (unconditioned stimulus) that naturally elicits the stress response. The stress response itself is not the CS or UCS, but rather the response that is conditioned to the tone through the process of classical conditioning. The time interval between the tone and shock is simply the timing of the conditioning procedure and not a component of the stimuli involved in the conditioning process.

In an Experiment Studying Classical Conditioning,a Tone Sounds and 5