Applied Behavior Analysis Technician (ABAT) Practice Test

What does respondent conditioning do to neutral stimuli?

1. Enhances their impact on behavior

2. Teaches them to elicit responses

3. Reduces their relevance

4. Cancels their effects

The correct answer is: Teaches them to elicit responses

Respondent conditioning, also known as classical conditioning, specifically involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to create a conditioned response. Over time, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus capable of eliciting a response on its own, even in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus. This process essentially teaches the neutral stimulus to elicit a reaction that it previously did not, thereby altering the behavior associated with that stimulus. Understanding this concept is crucial because it reveals how neutral stimuli can be transformed into significant triggers for behavior through association. For example, if a bell (the neutral stimulus) is rung every time food (the unconditioned stimulus) is presented to a dog, eventually, the sound of the bell alone will trigger salivation (the conditioned response) in the dog. This demonstrates the fundamental principle of respondent conditioning: neutral stimuli can gain the ability to elicit responses through repeated associations with unconditioned stimuli.