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Major Movements in Psychology

Behaviorism

What is the difference between the conditioned and the unconditioned stimulus?

The unconditioned stimulus is the stimulus that elicits a natural and unlearned response. For example, the child does not have to learn to feel pain from the shot. A dog does not have to learn to feel pleasure when fed. The conditioned stimulus is a formerly neutral stimulus that now elicits a response through its pairing with the conditioned stimulus. The perfume that the child associates with his grandmother is a conditioned stimulus. The doctor that the child associates with the shot is also a conditioned stimulus.



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