A teacher pairs the sound of a bell with lunchtime in a classroom. Over time,…
2026
A teacher pairs the sound of a bell with lunchtime in a classroom. Over time,
students begin to feel hungry when the bell rings, even without seeing lunch.
This is an example of which learning process, and what is the role of the bell?
Answer: D. Classical conditioning; the bell is the conditioned stimulus — ConceptIn classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces a response. After…
- A.
Trial and error learning; the bell is a reinforcement
- B.
Trial and error learning; the bell is the unconditioned stimulus
- C.
Classical conditioning; the bell is the unconditioned stimulus
- D.
Classical conditioning; the bell is the conditioned stimulus
Attempted by 16 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces a response. After learning, the formerly neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus and can evoke a conditioned response on its own.
Application
Lunch naturally produces hunger, so lunch is the unconditioned stimulus and hunger is initially the unconditioned response.
The bell is initially neutral and is repeatedly paired with lunch.
After these pairings, the bell alone produces hunger; therefore, the bell has become the conditioned stimulus and the hunger response to it is the conditioned response.
Contrast
Trial-and-error learning involves trying behaviours and learning from their consequences; no sequence of behavioural attempts is described here.
Reinforcement is a consequence that increases the future frequency of a behaviour; the bell functions as a learned cue, not as a consequence delivered after a behaviour.
An unconditioned stimulus produces a response without prior learning; lunch has this role because it naturally produces hunger.
Therefore, the process is classical conditioning, and the bell is the conditioned stimulus.