I want to condition a pet pig to come running for a food reward when I blow a whistle. In the process of
this conditioning effort, the main idea is to
A. pair a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus.
B. teach the pig to pay attention to the sound of a whistle.
C. pair a conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus.
D. teach the pig to expect food when it's hungry
C. pair a conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus.
The correct answer is C. pair a conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus.
To condition a pet pig to come running for a food reward when you blow a whistle, you need to associate the sound of the whistle (the conditioned stimulus) with the food reward (the unconditioned stimulus). This can be achieved through a process known as classical conditioning.
Here's how you can do it:
1. Start by selecting a whistle as your conditioned stimulus. Make sure it's a distinct sound that the pig can easily distinguish.
2. Next, give the pig the food reward (unconditioned stimulus) while simultaneously blowing the whistle (conditioned stimulus). Repeat this several times, ensuring that the pig receives the food reward every time you blow the whistle.
3. After repeated pairings of the whistle with the food reward, the pig will begin to associate the sound of the whistle with the food. At this point, the whistle becomes a conditioned stimulus.
4. Test the pig's conditioned response by only blowing the whistle without presenting the food reward. If the pig comes running when it hears the whistle, it means the conditioning has been successful.
By pairing a conditioned stimulus (the whistle) with an unconditioned stimulus (the food), you are establishing a link in the pig's mind between the sound of the whistle and the expectation of receiving a food reward. Over time, the pig will learn to associate the whistle with the reward, leading it to come running whenever it hears the whistle.