The Psychology Behind Dr. Meyer's Pop Quizzes

What do Dr. Meyer's students learn to anticipate before a pop quiz?

a. conditioned stimulus

b. unconditioned stimulus

c. unconditioned response

d. conditioned response

Answer: A. Conditioned Stimulus

Dr. Meyer is known for his difficult pop quizzes. Immediately before he springs a pop quiz on his students, he typically goes to the classroom door and closes it. Students soon learn to anticipate a pop quiz whenever Dr. Meyer closes the classroom door. Closing the door has become a conditioned stimulus.

The conditioned stimulus, which is Dr. Meyer closing the door, is the act that then triggers the conditioned response, which is the students anticipating the pop quiz. One becomes another only when one has been triggered. The conditioned stimulus becomes the conditioned response.