Question

"an initially neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a response because it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus is called a(n) _____ stimulus."

Answer 1

This initially neutral stimulus is called a conditioned stimulus.

A neutral stimulus on its own should produce no reaction, but if used together with an unconditioned stimulus (that causes either atraction or rejection), and after a series of repetitions, it will trigger the same reaction as the one generated by the unconditioned stimulus with which is paired.

This learning mechanism which involves an unconditioned stimulus, and a neutral one which becomes conditioned, is known as classical conditioning.