20 Classical Conditioning Examples in Everyday Life Explained

In the study of psychology, conditioning is the process of pairing two stimuli together so that if one stimulus can trigger a reaction, the other can do the same, too, simply by learned association.

Classical conditioning, also called Pavlovian conditioning and respondent conditioning, is learning through the association of a neutral stimulus with a biologically potent stimulus.

Here are some examples of Ivan Pavlov’s classical conditioning in everyday life.

Classical Conditioning Examples

A warm and nurturing teacher (US) makes students feel connected (UR). Students associate going to school (CS) with the teacher.

A Warm And Nurturing Teacher Motivates Students

A harsh and strict teacher (US) makes students feel bad (UR). Students associate going to school (CS) with the harsh teacher and learn to feel bad about going to school (CR).

A Harsh And Strict Teacher Demotivates Students

A child sees a dog attack a person. It’s a very frightening experience (UR). Dogs are generally neutral stimuli (US) that many people find adorable.

Fear Of Dogs

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