Which term describes the bell in Pavlov's experiment before the acquisition phase?

• A. Neutral stimulus.
• B. Conditioned stimulus.
• C. Unconditioned stimulus.
• D. Excitatory stimulus.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of Pavlov's experiment: Pavlov's classical conditioning experiment involved pairing a neutral stimulus (a bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (food) to eventually elicit a conditioned response (salivation) from the dog.
2. Identify the role of the bell before conditioning: Before any conditioning occurs, the bell does not naturally elicit the response of salivation from the dog.
3. Define 'neutral stimulus': A neutral stimulus is one that initially does not trigger any intrinsic response related to the unconditioned stimulus. In this case, the bell does not cause the dog to salivate before conditioning.
4. Differentiate between the terms: A 'conditioned stimulus' is what the neutral stimulus becomes after conditioning, an 'unconditioned stimulus' naturally triggers a response, and an 'excitatory stimulus' is not a standard term in classical conditioning.
5. Conclude that before the acquisition phase, the bell is a 'neutral stimulus' because it does not yet elicit the conditioned response of salivation.