classical conditioning
noun
: conditioning in which the conditioned stimulus (such as the sound of a bell) is paired with and precedes the unconditioned stimulus (such as the sight of food) until the conditioned stimulus alone is sufficient to elicit the response (such as salivation in a dog) compare operant conditioning
Examples of classical conditioning in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Engrams were able to be localized and measured in the brain during experiments involving a type of learning process called classical conditioning.
—
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Associating food, or other stimuli, with unrelated cues is known as classical conditioning.
—Holly Barker, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2021
Anyway, the key is that there are two kinds of classical conditioning.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 22 Dec. 2011
In an example of classical conditioning, ferrets trained to associate a signal with a stimulus that causes a blink at regular intervals will blink at the appropriate moment after hearing the signal alone.
—Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 28 May 2021
In the mid-20th century, Paramecium actually got the Pavlov’s dogs treatment (also called classical conditioning) several times.
—Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 28 May 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Associating food, or other stimuli, with unrelated cues is known as classical conditioning.
—Holly Barker, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2021
Anyway, the key is that there are two kinds of classical conditioning.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 22 Dec. 2011
In an example of classical conditioning, ferrets trained to associate a signal with a stimulus that causes a blink at regular intervals will blink at the appropriate moment after hearing the signal alone.
—Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 28 May 2021
In the mid-20th century, Paramecium actually got the Pavlov’s dogs treatment (also called classical conditioning) several times.
—Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 28 May 2021
Cite this Entry
“Classical conditioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classical%20conditioning. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share