In the context of classical conditioning, how did the bell and pad device help address bed-wetting in children?

• A. It used punishment by sounding a loud bell after bed-wetting, which made children fear urination at night.
• B. It rewarded children with treats when they did not wet the bed, reinforcing dry nights through operant conditioning.
• C. It conditioned children to ignore the urge to urinate by repeatedly exposing them to the bell sound without any consequence.
• D. It paired the sensation of a full bladder (neutral stimulus) with the sound of a bell (unconditioned stimulus), eventually causing the child to wake up to the sensation before wetting the bed.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the basic principle of classical conditioning, which involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.
2. Identify the stimuli in the bell and pad device scenario: the sensation of a full bladder acts as the neutral stimulus initially, and the sound of the bell is the unconditioned stimulus that naturally causes awakening.
3. Recognize that the device works by pairing the sensation of a full bladder with the bell sound, so over time, the child learns to associate the bladder sensation with waking up.
4. Explain that through repeated pairings, the previously neutral sensation of a full bladder becomes a conditioned stimulus that triggers the child to wake up before bed-wetting occurs.
5. Conclude that this process helps the child develop control over bed-wetting by waking up in response to the bladder sensation, demonstrating classical conditioning in action.