When planning a classical conditioning experiment, which of the following is essential for successfully establishing an association between the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus?

• A. The neutral stimulus should consistently precede the unconditioned stimulus during conditioning trials.
• B. The neutral stimulus should be presented randomly after the unconditioned stimulus.
• C. The neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus should never be paired together.
• D. The unconditioned stimulus should be weaker than the neutral stimulus.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the basic components of classical conditioning: the neutral stimulus (NS), the unconditioned stimulus (US), the unconditioned response (UR), and the conditioned response (CR). The goal is to create an association between the NS and the US so that the NS eventually elicits the CR.
2. Recognize that for an association to form, the neutral stimulus must reliably predict the unconditioned stimulus. This means the NS should be presented before the US, allowing the subject to learn that the NS signals the upcoming US.
3. Note that the timing is crucial: the neutral stimulus should consistently precede the unconditioned stimulus during conditioning trials. This temporal order helps the subject form a predictive relationship between the two stimuli.
4. Understand why presenting the neutral stimulus randomly after the unconditioned stimulus or never pairing them together would fail to establish the association, as the subject cannot predict the US based on the NS in these cases.
5. Realize that the strength of the stimuli matters less than their temporal relationship; the unconditioned stimulus does not need to be weaker than the neutral stimulus for conditioning to occur.