Place conditioning

Place conditioning is a research method used to study how environmental contexts influence behavior, particularly in relation to rewarding or addictive substances. In this technique, an animal, like a rat, is exposed to a specific environment paired with a drug or reward. Later, when given a choice, the animal shows a preference for the environment associated with the rewarding experience, indicating a learned association. This helps researchers understand how places or settings can become linked to feelings of pleasure or addiction, providing insight into how environmental cues can trigger drug craving or relapse in humans.