What is the name of the response elicited by a conditioned stimulus after acquisition?

• A. Unconditioned Response
• B. Stimulus
• C. Acquisition
• D. Conditioned Response

Answer: (D)

After conditioning, the signal that was once neutral becomes a trigger for a learned reaction. The response elicited by the conditioned stimulus once the association with the unconditioned stimulus is established is called the conditioned response. The CS now stands in for the US, so when it’s presented alone, the organism responds in a learned way. For example, a bell paired with food eventually causes the dog to salivate when the bell rings, even without food. The unconditioned response is the original reflexive reaction to the food, not the response to the bell. Acquisition is the learning process that creates the association, and a stimulus is any cue that can evoke a response.