In classical conditioning, an unlearned inborn reaction to an unconditioned stimulus is called an unconditioned response. This natural response occurs automatically without any learning involved.
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The unconditional response in Watson and Rayner's Little Albert study was the fear reaction that Little Albert displayed when he was exposed to loud noises (unconditioned stimulus) such as a hammer hitting a steel bar (unconditioned response). This fear reaction was natural and unlearned.
Neutral stimulus
This phenomenon is known as vicarious conditioning, where an individual learns to associate a stimulus with a response or emotion by observing someone else's reactions. It demonstrates the influence of social learning on conditioning processes, showing that conditioning can occur indirectly through observation of others.
For classical conditioning to occur a neutral stimulus must be paired with an unconditioned stimulus. The neutral stimulus is initially meaningless to the organism but becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus after the two are repeatedly paired together. This process of association is known as classical conditioning. The following are the components needed for classical conditioning to occur: A neutral stimulus An unconditioned stimulus A response ReinforcementThe neutral stimulus is something that does not initially produce a response. It is usually a sound taste or smell. The unconditioned stimulus is something that naturally produces a response. It is usually a food or something that causes pain or discomfort. The response is the reaction to the unconditioned stimulus such as salivating or flinching. Reinforcement is the use of rewards or punishments to strengthen the association between the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus.
A neutral stimulus is defined as a stimulus that does not naturally elicit a specific response or reaction from an organism. It only becomes effective in producing a response when it is paired with an unconditioned stimulus during classical conditioning.