When a learner responds directly to a stimulus, this is called

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

Answer: (C)

Automatic, reflexive responses that occur directly in reaction to a stimulus are described by respondent conditioning. In this form of learning, a neutral stimulus becomes associated with something that naturally triggers a response. After the pairing happens repeatedly, the neutral stimulus itself elicits the response without the original trigger. A classic example is Pavlov’s dogs, where a bell (neutral stimulus) was paired with food (which naturally causes salivation). After enough pairings, the bell alone produced salivation.

This fits because the learner’s action is elicited by the stimulus—it's an automatic, reflex-like response rather than a behavior that the learner freely chooses or that is shaped by consequences. In contrast, operant conditioning focuses on voluntary behaviors reinforced or punished by outcomes, and shaping is a technique used within that framework to guide behavior toward a target.