Classical conditioning

Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which a person or animal learns to associate one stimulus with another. After repeated pairings, a stimulus that originally had no meaning begins to produce a response on its own. It was discovered by Ivan Pavlov while studying dogs.

Everyday examples

1.You hear your phone notification and immediately feel excited because it often means a message from a friend.

2. The smell of a hospital makes someone anxious because they associate it with painful experiences.

3. Hearing the school bell makes students start packing their bags because they associate it with the end of class.

In psychology, classical conditioning explains how many emotions, fears, habits, and preferences are learned through experience.