Which of the following is an example of classical conditioning in everyday life?

• A. A person chooses to wear a raincoat after seeing dark clouds in the sky.
• B. A student studies harder after receiving praise for good grades.
• C. A dog learns to sit in order to receive a treat.
• D. A child begins to feel hungry when they hear the sound of a lunch bell at school because the bell has been repeatedly paired with lunchtime.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of classical conditioning, which involves learning through association. In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.
2. Step 2: Identify the components in the example: the lunch bell is the neutral stimulus that, after repeated pairing with lunchtime (the unconditioned stimulus), causes the child to feel hungry (the conditioned response).
3. Step 3: Compare this with other options to see if they involve learning by association (classical conditioning) or learning by consequences (operant conditioning).
4. Step 4: Recognize that choosing to wear a raincoat after seeing clouds is a decision based on reasoning, not association; studying harder after praise and a dog sitting for a treat are examples of operant conditioning, where behavior is influenced by consequences.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the example of the child feeling hungry at the sound of the lunch bell best illustrates classical conditioning because it shows a learned association between a previously neutral stimulus and a natural response.