Which of the following best illustrates the process of classical conditioning?

• A. A person avoids a food after getting sick from eating it once.
• B. A dog salivates when it hears a bell because the bell has been repeatedly paired with food.
• C. A student studies harder after receiving praise for good grades.
• D. A child learns to ride a bicycle by watching an older sibling.

Answer: (B)

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 an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.
2. Step 2: Identify the key elements of classical conditioning: the unconditioned stimulus (US), the unconditioned response (UR), the conditioned stimulus (CS), and the conditioned response (CR).
3. Step 3: Analyze each option to see if it involves a neutral stimulus becoming associated with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a learned response.
4. Step 4: Recognize that the example where a dog salivates when it hears a bell involves the bell (neutral stimulus) being paired repeatedly with food (unconditioned stimulus), leading to salivation (conditioned response).
5. Step 5: Conclude that this example best illustrates classical conditioning because it clearly shows the learned association between a previously neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus.