Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Does Conditioned Stimulus Work?The Conditioned Stimulus in Classical ConditioningGeneralization and DiscriminationExamples
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Does Conditioned Stimulus Work?
The Conditioned Stimulus in Classical Conditioning
Generalization and Discrimination
Examples
Close
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.
This discovery played an important role in the development of behaviorism, an approach to psychology that emphasize the role that learning and the environment play in human behavior.
At a GlanceThe conditioned stimulus plays a key role in classical conditioning. After being repeated paired with something that automatically triggers a response, a previously neutral stimulus will start to evoke the same response. 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.
At a Glance
The conditioned stimulus plays a key role in classical conditioning. After being repeated paired with something that automatically triggers a response, a previously neutral stimulus will start to evoke the same response. 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.
Ivan Pavlovfirst discovered the process of classical conditioning in his experiments on the digestive response of dogs. He noticed that the dogs naturally salivated in response to food, but that the animals also began to drool whenever they saw the white coat of the lab assistant who delivered the food.
The previously neutral stimulus (the lab assistant) had become associated with an unconditioned stimulus (the food) that naturally and automatically triggered a response (salivating).
After the neutral stimulus had become associated with the unconditioned stimulus, it became a conditionedstimuluscapable of triggering the conditioned response independently.
Classical conditioning takes place in three key stages:
A few factors might affect how a conditioned stimulus evokes a behavior. Sometimes, generalization can occur. This happens when an organism responds to something similar to the conditioned stimulus.
For example, if a dog was conditioned to respond to a certain bell tone, they might generalize it to other sounds. 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.
Example of the Conditioned Stimulus
Suppose that the smell of food is an unconditioned stimulus and a feeling of hunger is theunconditioned response. Now, imagine that when you smelled your favorite food, you also heard the sound of a whistle.
While the whistle is unrelated to the smell of the food, if the sound of the whistle was paired multiple times with the smell, the sound alone would eventually trigger the conditioned response. In this case, the sound of the whistle is the conditioned stimulus.
The example above is very similar to the original experiment Pavlov performed. The dogs in his experiment would salivate in response to food, but after repeatedly pairing the presentation of food with the sound of a bell, the dogs would begin to salivate to the sound alone. In this example, the sound of the bell was the conditioned stimulus.
An unrelated conditioned stimulus can evoke a reaction after conditioning, but research also suggests that characteristics of the conditioned stimulus can also affect whether it acquires motivating properties.A conditioned stimulus that is more salient or desirable, for example, may induce a stronger response.
More Examples of the Conditioned Stimulus
There are plenty of examples of how neutral stimuli can become a conditioned stimulus through association with an unconditioned stimulus. Let’s explore a few more examples.
You eat a burrito for lunch but become ill shortly after. While the food you ate was previously a neutral stimulus, it becomes a conditioned stimulus through its association with the unconditioned stimulus (illness). As a result, you may develop ataste aversionin which just the idea of eating that same food again causes you to feel ill.
Dog Attack
Hotel Bell
A hotel concierge begins to respond every time he hears the ringing of a bell. Because the bell has become associated with the sight of customers needing assistance, the bell has become a conditioned stimulus.
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.
What This Means For YouIn order to understand how classical conditioned works, it’s important to learn more about each aspect of the process. Remember that the conditioned stimulus was once a completely neutral stimulus. For it to become a conditioned stimulus, it first has to be repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally and automatically produces an unconditioned response.Once this association has been made, the neutral stimulus is a conditioned stimulus and the response is the conditioned response.
What This Means For You
In order to understand how classical conditioned works, it’s important to learn more about each aspect of the process. Remember that the conditioned stimulus was once a completely neutral stimulus. For it to become a conditioned stimulus, it first has to be repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally and automatically produces an unconditioned response.Once this association has been made, the neutral stimulus is a conditioned stimulus and the response is the conditioned response.
In order to understand how classical conditioned works, it’s important to learn more about each aspect of the process. Remember that the conditioned stimulus was once a completely neutral stimulus. For it to become a conditioned stimulus, it first has to be repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally and automatically produces an unconditioned response.
Once this association has been made, the neutral stimulus is a conditioned stimulus and the response is the conditioned response.
7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.VanElzakker MB, Dahlgren MK, Davis FC, Dubois S, Shin LM.From Pavlov to PTSD: the extinction of conditioned fear in rodents, humans, and anxiety disorders.Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2014;113:3-18. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2013.11.014Eelen P.Classical conditioning: Classical yet modern.Psychol Belg. 2018;58(1):196-211. doi:10.5334/pb.451Morè L, Jensen G.Acquisition of conditioned responding in a multiple schedule depends on the reinforcement’s temporal contingency with each stimulus.Learn Mem.2014;21(5):258-62. doi: 10.1101/lm.034231.113Thanellou A, Green JT.Spontaneous recovery but not reinstatement of the extinguished conditioned eyeblink response in the rat.Behav Neurosci.2011;125(4):613-25. doi:10.1037/a0023582Dunsmoor JE, Mitroff SR, Labar KS.Generalization of conditioned fear along a dimension of increasing fear intensity.Learn Mem.2009;16(7):460-9. doi:10.1101/lm.1431609Murray JE, Li C, Palmatier MI, Bevins RA.The interoceptive Pavlovian stimulus effects of caffeine.Pharmacol Biochem Behav.2007;86(4):838-46. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2007.03.013Meyer PJ, Cogan ES, Robinson TE.The form of a conditioned stimulus can influence the degree to which it acquires incentive motivational properties[published correction appears in PLoS One. 2014;9(8):e107194].PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e98163. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098163Additional ReadingMallot R, Shane JT.Principles of Behavior: Seventh Edition. Psychology Press. 2015.
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.VanElzakker MB, Dahlgren MK, Davis FC, Dubois S, Shin LM.From Pavlov to PTSD: the extinction of conditioned fear in rodents, humans, and anxiety disorders.Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2014;113:3-18. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2013.11.014Eelen P.Classical conditioning: Classical yet modern.Psychol Belg. 2018;58(1):196-211. doi:10.5334/pb.451Morè L, Jensen G.Acquisition of conditioned responding in a multiple schedule depends on the reinforcement’s temporal contingency with each stimulus.Learn Mem.2014;21(5):258-62. doi: 10.1101/lm.034231.113Thanellou A, Green JT.Spontaneous recovery but not reinstatement of the extinguished conditioned eyeblink response in the rat.Behav Neurosci.2011;125(4):613-25. doi:10.1037/a0023582Dunsmoor JE, Mitroff SR, Labar KS.Generalization of conditioned fear along a dimension of increasing fear intensity.Learn Mem.2009;16(7):460-9. doi:10.1101/lm.1431609Murray JE, Li C, Palmatier MI, Bevins RA.The interoceptive Pavlovian stimulus effects of caffeine.Pharmacol Biochem Behav.2007;86(4):838-46. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2007.03.013Meyer PJ, Cogan ES, Robinson TE.The form of a conditioned stimulus can influence the degree to which it acquires incentive motivational properties[published correction appears in PLoS One. 2014;9(8):e107194].PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e98163. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098163Additional ReadingMallot R, Shane JT.Principles of Behavior: Seventh Edition. Psychology Press. 2015.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
VanElzakker MB, Dahlgren MK, Davis FC, Dubois S, Shin LM.From Pavlov to PTSD: the extinction of conditioned fear in rodents, humans, and anxiety disorders.Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2014;113:3-18. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2013.11.014Eelen P.Classical conditioning: Classical yet modern.Psychol Belg. 2018;58(1):196-211. doi:10.5334/pb.451Morè L, Jensen G.Acquisition of conditioned responding in a multiple schedule depends on the reinforcement’s temporal contingency with each stimulus.Learn Mem.2014;21(5):258-62. doi: 10.1101/lm.034231.113Thanellou A, Green JT.Spontaneous recovery but not reinstatement of the extinguished conditioned eyeblink response in the rat.Behav Neurosci.2011;125(4):613-25. doi:10.1037/a0023582Dunsmoor JE, Mitroff SR, Labar KS.Generalization of conditioned fear along a dimension of increasing fear intensity.Learn Mem.2009;16(7):460-9. doi:10.1101/lm.1431609Murray JE, Li C, Palmatier MI, Bevins RA.The interoceptive Pavlovian stimulus effects of caffeine.Pharmacol Biochem Behav.2007;86(4):838-46. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2007.03.013Meyer PJ, Cogan ES, Robinson TE.The form of a conditioned stimulus can influence the degree to which it acquires incentive motivational properties[published correction appears in PLoS One. 2014;9(8):e107194].PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e98163. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098163
VanElzakker MB, Dahlgren MK, Davis FC, Dubois S, Shin LM.From Pavlov to PTSD: the extinction of conditioned fear in rodents, humans, and anxiety disorders.Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2014;113:3-18. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2013.11.014
Eelen P.Classical conditioning: Classical yet modern.Psychol Belg. 2018;58(1):196-211. doi:10.5334/pb.451
Morè L, Jensen G.Acquisition of conditioned responding in a multiple schedule depends on the reinforcement’s temporal contingency with each stimulus.Learn Mem.2014;21(5):258-62. doi: 10.1101/lm.034231.113
Thanellou A, Green JT.Spontaneous recovery but not reinstatement of the extinguished conditioned eyeblink response in the rat.Behav Neurosci.2011;125(4):613-25. doi:10.1037/a0023582
Dunsmoor JE, Mitroff SR, Labar KS.Generalization of conditioned fear along a dimension of increasing fear intensity.Learn Mem.2009;16(7):460-9. doi:10.1101/lm.1431609
Murray JE, Li C, Palmatier MI, Bevins RA.The interoceptive Pavlovian stimulus effects of caffeine.Pharmacol Biochem Behav.2007;86(4):838-46. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2007.03.013
Meyer PJ, Cogan ES, Robinson TE.The form of a conditioned stimulus can influence the degree to which it acquires incentive motivational properties[published correction appears in PLoS One. 2014;9(8):e107194].PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e98163. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098163
Mallot R, Shane JT.Principles of Behavior: Seventh Edition. Psychology Press. 2015.
Meet Our Review Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
What is your feedback?
