Definition of Conditioned Stimulus:

A conditioned stimulus refers to a previously neutral stimulus that acquires the capacity to elicit a particular response through its association with an unconditioned stimulus.

Key Points:

• A conditioned stimulus is initially neutral and does not elicit any specific response.
• Through repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, the conditioned stimulus starts to evoke the same response as the unconditioned stimulus.
• The process of learning associations between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus is known as classical conditioning.
• Examples of conditioned stimuli range from sounds and smells to visual cues and words.
• Conditioned stimuli play a crucial role in human and animal learning, as they help establish new behavioral responses.