AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A neutral stimulus is a stimulus that at first elicits no response. Pavlov introduced the ringing of the bell as a neutral stimulus. An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that leads to an automatic response. In Pavlov’s experiment, the food was the unconditioned stimulus.

Detailed explanation-2: -In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus is presented immediately before an unconditioned stimulus. Pavlov would sound a tone (like ringing a bell) and then give the dogs the meat powder ([link]). The tone was the neutral stimulus (NS), which is a stimulus that does not naturally elicit a response.

Detailed explanation-3: -The bell had become the conditioned stimulus and salivation had become the conditioned response. The dogs had learnt to associate the bell with the food and the sound of the bell and salivation was triggered by the sound of the bell. Pavlov showed that classical conditioning leads to learning by association.

Detailed explanation-4: -Classical conditioning refers to learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus (e.g., a tone) becomes associated with a stimulus (e.g., food) that naturally produces a behaviour. After the association is learned, the previously neutral stimulus is sufficient to produce the behaviour.

Detailed explanation-5: -During conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (food) is presented repeatedly just after the presentation of the neutral stimulus (bell). After conditioning, the neutral stimulus alone produces a conditioned response (salivation), thus becoming a conditioned stimulus.