Which of the following correctly places the events of classical conditioning in order?

• A. Unconditioned response occurs first, then the unconditioned stimulus is presented, followed by the neutral stimulus.
• B. Unconditioned stimulus and conditioned response are paired before introducing the neutral stimulus.
• C. Conditioned stimulus is presented alone repeatedly before introducing the unconditioned stimulus or response.
• D. Neutral stimulus is presented, followed by unconditioned stimulus, leading to unconditioned response; after repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus eliciting a conditioned response.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the basic components of classical conditioning: the neutral stimulus (NS), unconditioned stimulus (US), unconditioned response (UR), conditioned stimulus (CS), and conditioned response (CR).
2. Recognize that classical conditioning involves pairing the neutral stimulus (NS) with the unconditioned stimulus (US) so that the NS eventually triggers a response on its own.
3. Identify the correct sequence of events: first, the neutral stimulus (NS) is presented; then the unconditioned stimulus (US) is presented, which naturally elicits the unconditioned response (UR).
4. Understand that after repeated pairings of the NS and US, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) that elicits a conditioned response (CR) similar to the original unconditioned response.
5. Confirm that the correct order is: Neutral stimulus presented → Unconditioned stimulus presented → Unconditioned response occurs → After repeated pairings, neutral stimulus becomes conditioned stimulus → Conditioned response occurs.