Definition of Conditioning?

Conditioning refers to the process of training or teaching someone to behave in a certain way through repeated practice or reinforcement. It involves associating a specific stimulus with a particular response in order to create a learned behavior. Conditioning can be either classical (Pavlovian) or operant (Skinnerian) in nature.

Conditioning is a process of learning in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a meaningful stimulus, so that the neutral stimulus eventually elicits a response that is similar to the response elicited by the meaningful stimulus.

- Neutral stimulus: A stimulus that does not initially elicit a particular response.
- Meaningful stimulus: A stimulus that naturally elicits a specific response.
- Conditioned stimulus: A neutral stimulus that, after pairing with a meaningful stimulus, elicits a response that is similar to the response elicited by the meaningful stimulus.
- Conditioned response: The response elicited by the conditioned stimulus.

There are two main types of conditioning:

- Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian conditioning): A form of conditioning in which a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (a stimulus that naturally elicits a specific response) so that the neutral stimulus eventually elicits the same response as the unconditioned stimulus.
- Operant conditioning (also known as instrumental conditioning): A form of conditioning in which a behavior is reinforced or punished, so that the behavior is more or less likely to occur in the future.