In the context of classical conditioning, Ivan Pavlov pioneered the scientific study of what phenomenon?

• A. How consequences such as reinforcement and punishment shape voluntary behavior
• B. How people learn new behaviors by observing and imitating others
• C. How short-term memories are encoded and consolidated into long-term memory
• D. How neutral stimuli can, through repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, elicit conditioned reflexes

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the key concept in the question: classical conditioning, which is a fundamental learning process studied by Ivan Pavlov.
2. Recall that classical conditioning involves learning through association, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.
3. Understand that Pavlov's experiments demonstrated how a neutral stimulus (like a bell) paired repeatedly with an unconditioned stimulus (like food) can eventually trigger a conditioned reflex (like salivation).
4. Recognize that this process explains how behaviors can be elicited involuntarily through learned associations, distinguishing it from voluntary behavior shaped by reinforcement or punishment.
5. Conclude that the phenomenon Pavlov pioneered is how neutral stimuli, through repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, elicit conditioned reflexes.