Dimitri and Rita eat some donuts for breakfast and then spend the morning at an amusement park. After a few hours of riding the Super Looper Double Twist Dimitri feels nauseous and regurgitates the donuts. Rita is fine, but Dimitri has developed a __, and the next time they stop for donuts, Dimitri immediately feels ill.A. taste aversionB. taste responseC. unconditioned aversionD. unconditioned response
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
ChatGPT said:
The correct answer is: A. taste aversion
Explanation
Taste aversion is a type of learned association in classical conditioning, where an individual associates the taste of a certain food with a negative reaction, such as nausea or vomiting. This learning typically occurs after just one pairing of the food and the unpleasant experience and can last for a long time—even a lifetime.
In the scenario provided, Dimitri and Rita eat donuts before going on a ride at the amusement park. After riding the Super Looper Double Twist, Dimitri feels nauseous and vomits the donuts. Even though the nausea was likely caused by the ride and not the donuts themselves, Dimitri’s brain associates the taste of donuts with the feeling of nausea. Later, simply encountering donuts again makes Dimitri feel ill. This is a classic case of conditioned taste aversion.
This type of learning is different from many other forms of classical conditioning because:
- It typically happens after just one pairing of the food and illness.
- The delay between eating and getting sick can be several hours, yet the association still forms.
- It is adaptive—it helps animals (and humans) avoid foods that have made them sick in the past.
The other options are incorrect:
- B. Taste response is not a recognized psychological term in this context.
- C. Unconditioned aversion would refer to an innate, natural dislike not based on experience. Dimitri liked the donuts before, so this is not unconditioned.
- D. Unconditioned response refers to an automatic reaction to a stimulus without learning. For example, salivating when smelling food.
Therefore, Dimitri’s reaction is a learned response due to the association of donuts with nausea, making taste aversion the correct answer.
