Pavlovian Conditioning
Pavlovian Conditioning, also known as classical conditioning, is a learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, leading to a learned response. This concept was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, through his experiments with dogs. He found that dogs would salivate not only when food was presented but also when they heard a bell that had been paired with the food.
In this process, the neutral stimulus (the bell) is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus (the food), which naturally triggers a response (salivation). After several pairings, the neutral stimulus alone can evoke the response, now called the conditioned response. This type of learning is fundamental in understanding behavior and has applications in various fields, including psychology and education.