Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Practice Exam

In classical conditioning, what is the role of the unconditioned stimulus?

1. To elicit a conditioned response

2. To naturally elicit an unconditioned response

3. To become a conditioned stimulus

4. To reinforce the neutral stimulus

The correct answer is: To naturally elicit an unconditioned response

In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus is crucial because it naturally elicits an unconditioned response without any prior learning or conditioning. For instance, when a dog is presented with food (the unconditioned stimulus), it will naturally salivate (the unconditioned response) because this response is biologically ingrained and does not require any conditioning. This relationship is fundamental in establishing the link between the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus through repeated pairing, which leads to the formation of a conditioned response. The unconditioned stimulus serves as the natural trigger for the unconditioned response, forming the foundation for further learning in the classical conditioning framework.