One of several theories that attempt to explain the underlying mechanisms of PDD. Conditioned response theory holds that physiologic responding is the consequence of an emotional response triggered by the conditioned stimulus. When a given stimulus is associated with strong emotions, larger responses are expected. There is some support for this theory in that physiologic responding has been established to be positively correlated with the personal significance of the test question. It does not explain why PDD continues to work in non-threatening and low motivation conditions, however. The conditioned response theory is not the prevailing explanation for PDD.
