Which of the following experiments is a classic example of classical conditioning?

• A. Ivan Pavlov repeatedly paired a neutral stimulus (a bell) with food until the bell alone elicited salivation in dogs.
• B. Hermann Ebbinghaus measured memory retention by having participants relearn lists of nonsense syllables over time.
• C. B. F. Skinner showed that rats increased lever-pressing when the behavior was followed by food reinforcement.
• D. Albert Bandura demonstrated that children imitated aggressive behavior after observing an adult model.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of classical conditioning, which is a learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, eventually eliciting a similar response on its own.
2. Step 2: Identify the key elements of classical conditioning: an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) that naturally elicits an unconditioned response (UCR), and a neutral stimulus (NS) that becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) after being paired with the UCS.
3. Step 3: Review each experiment option to see which one involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.
4. Step 4: Recognize that Ivan Pavlov's experiment with dogs involved repeatedly pairing a neutral stimulus (bell) with food (UCS) until the bell alone caused salivation (conditioned response), which is the hallmark of classical conditioning.
5. Step 5: Note that the other experiments involve different learning processes: Ebbinghaus studied memory retention, Skinner demonstrated operant conditioning (behavior followed by reinforcement), and Bandura showed observational learning (imitation).