In classical conditioning, the automatic, unlearned response to a stimulus is called what?

• A. Conditioned Response
• B. Unconditioned Response
• C. Unconditioned Stimulus
• D. Conditioned Stimulus

Answer: (B)

In classical conditioning, the automatic, unlearned reaction to a stimulus is the unconditioned response. This response happens without any training when the unconditioned stimulus naturally triggers it. For example, presenting food to a hungry dog (the unconditioned stimulus) automatically makes the dog salivate (the unconditioned response). After pairing a neutral thing like a bell with the food, the bell becomes a conditioned stimulus, and the salivation in response to the bell is the conditioned response. The other terms refer to different parts: the conditioned stimulus is the bell after conditioning, the conditioned response is the learned reaction to the bell, and the unconditioned stimulus is the food that triggers the reflex.