What is the key feature of classical conditioning?
a. learned reflexes
b. sensory stimulation
c. unlearned responses
d. stimulus substitution
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is a. learned reflexes.
Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus with a meaningful stimulus, leading to a change in behavior. The key feature of classical conditioning is the development of learned reflexes. This process was famously described by Ivan Pavlov, who conducted experiments with dogs to demonstrate how they could learn to associate a neutral stimulus, such as a bell, with an unconditioned stimulus, like food. Over time, the dog would begin to salivate merely in response to the bell, even if no food was present. The salivation, initially an unconditioned response to the food, becomes a conditioned response to the bell after repeated pairings.
In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus (in Pavlov’s case, the bell) becomes a conditioned stimulus after being associated with the unconditioned stimulus (the food). The unconditioned response, which is automatic (like salivating in response to food), becomes a conditioned response when triggered by the conditioned stimulus. The reflex action of salivating, which is learned through the association of the bell and food, represents the learned reflex.
This process involves forming an association between a stimulus and a response. Over time, the organism’s behavior changes as it learns to react to the neutral stimulus in a similar way it would to the unconditioned stimulus. The learned reflexes in classical conditioning demonstrate how behavior can be shaped and modified through experience and association.