When a previously neutral stimulus, through repeated pairing with the unconditioned stimulus, begins to cause the same kind of reflexive response, the neutral stimulus has become

• A. a reflex.
• B. a discriminative stimulus.
• C. extinct.
• D. a conditioned stimulus.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of classical conditioning, which involves learning through association. This process was first described by Ivan Pavlov.
2. Identify the key components of classical conditioning: the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), which naturally and automatically triggers a response, and the unconditioned response (UCR), which is the natural reaction to the UCS.
3. Recognize the role of the neutral stimulus (NS), which initially does not trigger the unconditioned response.
4. Learn that through repeated pairings with the unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned response.
5. Conclude that once the neutral stimulus begins to elicit the same response as the unconditioned stimulus, it is now termed a conditioned stimulus (CS), and the response it elicits is called the conditioned response (CR).