What is the result when a dog learns to become excited from a previously neutral stimulus?

When a dog learns to become excited from a previously neutral stimulus, the phenomenon occurring is referred to as a conditioned response. This process is a key concept in classical conditioning, where an initially neutral stimulus (such as the sound of a bell) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (like food) that naturally elicits a response (the dog's excitement or salivation). Over time, the dog learns to respond to the neutral stimulus in the same way it does to the unconditioned stimulus, demonstrating a learned behavior.

In this case, the excitement response is conditioned because it is directly linked to the experience of the neutral stimulus now being associated with something positive or rewarding. This transformation shows the effectiveness of associative learning, highlighting how behavior can be modified through experience.

Other concepts mentioned, such as learned irrelevance, sensitization, and habituation, relate to different aspects of learning and behavior but do not encapsulate the specific scenario of excitement resulting from a conditioned stimulus. Learned irrelevance often refers to a lack of response due to a stimulus being paired with a neutral outcome, sensitization involves an increased response to a stimulus after exposure, and habituation describes a decrease in response to a repeated, benign stimulus. These are distinct from the process of