In Pavlov's experiments, what did the bell serve as the neutral stimulus?

In Pavlov's experiments, what did the bell serve as the neutral stimulus?

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

Answer: (A)

A neutral stimulus is something that initially elicits no automatic response. In Pavlov’s work, the bell started as neutral because hearing a bell didn’t make the dogs salivate on its own. The food is the unconditioned stimulus because it naturally triggers salivation, the unconditioned response. After the bell was repeatedly paired with the food, the bell alone began to produce salivation, so it became a conditioned stimulus and the salivation it produced became the conditioned response. So the bell’s role before conditioning is that of a neutral stimulus.

A neutral stimulus is something that initially elicits no automatic response. In Pavlov’s work, the bell started as neutral because hearing a bell didn’t make the dogs salivate on its own. The food is the unconditioned stimulus because it naturally triggers salivation, the unconditioned response. After the bell was repeatedly paired with the food, the bell alone began to produce salivation, so it became a conditioned stimulus and the salivation it produced became the conditioned response. So the bell’s role before conditioning is that of a neutral stimulus.