Question

Imagine that you flinch after seeing lightning because in previous instances the lightning is followed by thunder, which scared you. in this scenario, lightning can be interpreted as being a(n):

Answer 1

The answer is a conditioned stimulus. In this case, the lightning did not have a response from you attached to it until the thunder followed it. Once thunder, a loud and unpleasant noise, surprised you, the lightning now has a new meaning. It now alerts you that something is to follow, and so it has changed from a neutral stimulus (one with no attachment to it) to a conditioned stimulus.