Identifying Unconditioned Response in Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is a learning process that involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response. In a classic experiment conducted by Ivan Pavlov, dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell when it was previously paired with the presentation of food. In a similar vein, a researcher conducts an experiment with a rat, pairing the sound of a clicking noise (neutral stimulus) with a mild electric shock (unconditioned stimulus). After several repetitions, the rat begins to freeze at the sound of the clicking noise alone. Based on this scenario, which of the following statements correctly identifies the unconditioned response in the context of this experiment?