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Classical Conditioning Approach

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025

Definition

The classical conditioning approach is a psychological perspective that assumes human behavior is influenced by learning associations between stimuli. It suggests that behaviors are acquired through the process of pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to evoke a conditioned response.

Theoretical Perspectives

Classical conditioning is a learning process rooted in behaviorism, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response.

Study And Research Findings

Pavlov's experiments with dogs are seminal, demonstrating that a neutral stimulus (bell) paired with food could evoke salivation, a response initially triggered only by the food.

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