---
title: "Conditioned Stimulus (CS) — AP Psych Definition & Examples"
description: "A conditioned stimulus is a once-neutral stimulus that triggers a learned response after pairing with an unconditioned stimulus. Master the CS for AP Psych scenario questions."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-psych-revised/key-terms/conditioned-stimulus-cs"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Psychology"
---

# Conditioned Stimulus (CS) — AP Psych Definition & Examples

## Definition

A conditioned stimulus is a previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually triggers a conditioned response.

## Related Study Guides

- [4.2 Classical Conditioning ](/ap-psych-revised/unit-4/classical-conditioning/study-guide/QGn54mzLKcXn3LKcabkL)

## Review

### Related Terms

- Neutral Stimulus (NS): This is something that does not trigger a response on its own, but can become a conditioned stimulus when paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
- [Unconditioned Stimulus (US)](/ap-psych-revised/key-terms/unconditioned-stimulus-us): This is something that naturally and automatically triggers an unlearned response without previous conditioning.
- [Stimulus Generalization](/ap-psych-revised/key-terms/stimulus-generalization): This refers to the tendency for the conditioned response to be evoked by stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.