Question

Come up with examples in classical conditioning where the CS is: a sound, a visual stimulus, and a smell. Be sure to explain your scenario completely and label the CS, CR, US, UR in each of your three examples.

Answer 1

Classical conditioning is a form of learning where conditioned stimulus (CS) comes to serve as a signal for unconditional stimulus (UCS) and elicits the same response that a UCS would have.

CS stands for the conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response, CR.

UCS stands for the unconditioned stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response, UCR.

Examples of the classical conditioning:

1) Little Albert Experiment.

In the experiment, little Albert started to fear a white rat after the conditioning process. At first, Albert showed no fear of rats previously. However, the researcher started making loud noises behind the baby by pounding a steel bar with a hammer while the rat was in front of Little Albert. In reaction to the loud noise, Albert would cry. Eventually, after a several pairs of conditioning, Albert started crying every time he would see a white rat even when there was no loud noise.

Here in this experiment, UCS is the loud noise and UCR is crying. Loud noise automatically made the baby scared in response to which the baby cried. CS is the white rat which after several pairing with the UCS, came to elicit the same response (crying). So, CR is crying as it was elicited by CS.

2) When you are in a public area and hears a ringtone similar to yours, you immediately reach for your smartphone only to realize that it's someone else's phone ringing. Here, UCS is the ringing of the phone which automatically generates a response i.e. reaching to pick up the call (UCR). However, since you are familiar with a particular ringtone, so, every time you hear a ringtone similar to yours, you think it's your phone ringing. So, here CR is the particular ringtone you have and CR is reaching to pick up the call.

3) When you smell a familiar flavor of popcorn coming fresh out of the microwave, you might start salivating even before tasting it. Here, UCS is the food that generates the response, salivation (UCS) as one eats the food. But since you can smell a familiar flavor, you start to salivate even before eating it. So, CR is salivating because of the smell and CS is the smell of the familiar flavor.