Conditioned Stimulus
- Pronunciation
- /CON-di-tioned STIM-uhl-us/
- Category
- Behavior
- Singular
- Conditioned Stimulus
- Plural
- Conditioned Stimuli
Definition
A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US), elicits a response similar to the response elicited by the US.
Etymology
From Latin 'conditio', meaning 'condition', and Stimulus - a factor that provokes a response.
Example
In classical conditioning, a bell (CS) is paired with food (US) until the bell alone elicits salivation (CR).
Related Terms
- Unconditioned stimulus
- Unconditioned response
- Classical conditioning