Ivan Pavlov contributed to the development of which idea?

• A. Classical conditioning
• B. Operant conditioning
• C. Respondent conditioning
• D. Shaping

Answer: (A)

Learning by forming associations between stimuli is being tested. Pavlov showed that a neutral cue can come to trigger a response after it’s repeatedly paired with something that naturally produces that response. In his experiments, the bell started as a neutral stimulus and was paired with food, which naturally caused salivation. After several pairings, the bell alone elicited salivation. This learning process is called classical conditioning, highlighting how behavior can arise from associations rather than from direct reinforcement of a desired action.

Operant conditioning, in contrast, involves behaviors shaped by their consequences—rewards or punishments. Shaping is a technique within operant conditioning that gradually reinforces closer and closer approximations to a target behavior. Some texts also use the term respondent conditioning to refer to classical conditioning, but the standard attribution to Pavlov is classical conditioning.