Classical conditioning: Learn how classical conditioning works

Learn how classical conditioning works, based on Pavlov's experiments with dogs and food. Explore real-life examples, such as phobias, tastes, and habits, and the pros and cons of this behaviorist approach. In classical conditioning, an organism learns to respond to a neutral stimulus that normally does not bring about that response. To demonstrate and analyze classical conditioning, Pavlov conducted a series of experiments. In one, he attached a tube to the salivary gland of a dog. a type of learning in which an initially neutral stimulus—the conditioned stimulus (CS)—when paired with a stimulus that elicits a reflex response—the unconditioned stimulus (US)—results in a learned, or conditioned, response (CR) when the CS is presented. For example, the sound of a tone may be used as a CS, and food in a dog’s mouth as a US. After repeated pairings, namely, the tone followed immediately by food, the tone, which initially had no effect on salivation (i.e., was ... The Mechanisms of Learning: A Comprehensive Study on Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Introduction to Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning, is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology that explains how organisms learn through associations between stimuli. The theory was first introduced by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, whose groundbreaking experiments with dogs revealed key principles of learning that are still relevant ...