Robert Rescorla's research on classical conditioning demonstrated which of the following?

• A. The importance of the predictive relationship between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus
• B. That reinforcement must immediately follow a response to be effective
• C. That punishment is more effective than reinforcement in shaping behavior
• D. That all stimuli are equally likely to become conditioned stimuli regardless of biological relevance

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of classical conditioning, which involves learning through associations between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US).
2. Recall that Robert Rescorla's research focused on the role of predictability in classical conditioning, emphasizing that the CS must reliably predict the US for conditioning to occur effectively.
3. Recognize that Rescorla challenged the idea that all stimuli are equally likely to become conditioned stimuli by showing that the strength of conditioning depends on the predictive relationship, not just temporal pairing.
4. Eliminate options that do not align with Rescorla's findings, such as reinforcement timing, punishment effectiveness, or equal likelihood of all stimuli becoming conditioned stimuli.
5. Conclude that the key insight from Rescorla's research is the importance of the predictive relationship between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus in classical conditioning.