The conditioned stimulus is a previously neutral stimulus that eventually triggers aconditioned response.
To do this the conditioned stimulus must first become associated with theunconditioned stimulus.
It is a key part of theclassical conditioningprocess.
Illustration by Emily Roberts, Verywell
Classical conditioning is an approach to learning first described by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov.
At a Glance
The conditioned stimulus plays a key role in classical conditioning.
At that point, the previously neutral stimulus becomes known as the conditioned stimulus.
Understanding how this process works can give you a better idea of how certain responses can be conditioned.
How Does Conditioned Stimulus Work?
Ivan Pavlovfirst discovered the process of classical conditioning in his experiments on the digestive response of dogs.
Sometimes, generalization can occur.
This happens when an organism responds to something similar to the conditioned stimulus.
As a result, they would produce the same response when they hear those different sounds.
Discrimination involves being able to distinguish between the conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli.
This means the organism will only respond to the conditioned stimulus and not similar stimuli.
Now, imagine that when you smelled your favorite food, you also heard the sound of a whistle.
In this case, the sound of the whistle is the conditioned stimulus.
The example above is very similar to the original experiment Pavlov performed.
In this example, the sound of the bell was the conditioned stimulus.
Let’s explore a few more examples.
You eat a burrito for lunch but become ill shortly after.
Hotel Bell
A hotel concierge begins to respond every time he hears the ringing of a bell.
Lunch Bell
Students hear the sound of a bell right before they are released for lunch.
Eventually, just the sound of the bell alone causes the students to become hungry.
Remember that the conditioned stimulus was once a completely neutral stimulus.
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