classical conditioning

noun

1. conditioning ( def 2 ).

classical conditioning

noun

1. psychol the alteration in responding that occurs when two stimuli are regularly paired in close succession: the response originally given to the second stimulus comes to be given to the first See also conditioned response

classical conditioning

/ klăs′ĭ-kəl /

1. A process of behavior modification in which a subject learns to respond in a desired manner such that a neutral stimulus (the conditioned stimulus ) is repeatedly presented in association with a stimulus (the unconditioned stimulus ) that elicits a natural response (the unconditioned response ) until the neutral stimulus alone elicits the same response (now called the conditioned response ). For example, in Pavlov's experiments, food is the unconditioned stimulus that produces salivation, a reflex or unconditioned response. The bell is the conditioned stimulus, which eventually produces salivation in the absence of food. This salivation is the conditioned response.

Word History and Origins

Origin of classical conditioning¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

In classical conditioning, made famous by Ivan Pavlov and his dogs, the experimenter pairs a stimulus, such as an air puff to the eyelid or an electric shock to a finger, with an unrelated stimulus, such as a pure tone.

From Nautilus