Associationism

Associationism is a psychological theory that suggests learning occurs through the formation of connections between ideas, experiences, or behaviors. In the context of behaviorism, it emphasizes how our actions are influenced by the associations we make with certain stimuli. For example, if you hear a bell and then receive food, you'll start to salivate at the sound of the bell alone. This principle underlies concepts like classical conditioning, where a response becomes linked to a specific trigger, shaping how we learn and respond to our environment based on our past experiences.