Classical Conditioning Theory

Classical Conditioning Theory, developed by Ivan Pavlov, describes how organisms learn to associate two stimuli. For example, if a neutral stimulus like a bell rings every time before food is presented, a dog eventually begins to salivate just at the sound of the bell—even without food. This learned response occurs because the brain associates the bell (originally neutral) with the food (a natural stimulus). Essentially, the theory explains how certain responses can become automatic through repeated pairing of stimuli, shaping behaviors based on learned associations.