What term describes learning through association by pairing an unconditioned stimulus with a neutral stimulus?

The term describing learning through association by pairing an unconditioned stimulus with a neutral stimulus is classical conditioning. This learning process was famously studied by Ivan Pavlov, who demonstrated that a neutral stimulus, like a bell, could become associated with an unconditioned stimulus, such as food, to elicit a conditioned response—in this case, salivation in dogs.

In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus after being paired repeatedly with the unconditioned stimulus. The result is that the organism learns to respond to the conditioned stimulus as if it were the unconditioned stimulus, demonstrating a key principle of associative learning. This fundamental concept is integral to understanding behavior and how various stimuli can influence responses.

The other terms do not describe this specific learning mechanism. Operant conditioning involves learning through consequences, such as rewards or punishments. Observational learning refers to acquiring behaviors through watching and imitating others. Conditioned reflection is not a standard term within the psychological lexicon and may confuse rather than clarify the concept of classical conditioning.