What occurs when a stimulus elicits a response due to being paired with another stimulus?

The scenario describes classical conditioning, a learning process identified by Ivan Pavlov. In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces a response. After repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response, even in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus. Pavlov’s classic experiment with dogs demonstrated this by associating the sound of a bell (neutral stimulus) with food (unconditioned stimulus), leading to the dogs salivating (conditioned response) to the bell alone.

In contrast, operant conditioning involves learning through consequences, where behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on reinforcement or punishment. Positive reinforcement is a specific form of operant conditioning that increases a behavior by presenting a desirable stimulus after the behavior occurs. Stimulus response theory focuses on the relationship between stimuli and the responses they elicit but does not specifically refer to the paired association characterizing classical conditioning.