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

• A. A child learns to tie their shoes by watching their parent do it.
• B. A person chooses to eat healthy foods to lose weight.
• C. A student studies harder after receiving praise for good grades.
• D. A person develops a fear of dogs after being bitten by a dog as a child.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of classical conditioning, which involves learning through association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus that naturally elicits a response.
2. Step 2: Identify the key elements of classical conditioning: an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) that triggers an unconditioned response (UCR), a neutral stimulus (NS) that becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS), and a conditioned response (CR) that is learned.
3. Step 3: Analyze each example to see if it involves learning by association between stimuli rather than learning by observation, choice, or reinforcement.
4. Step 4: Recognize that the example where a person develops a fear of dogs after being bitten involves associating the previously neutral stimulus (dogs) with a painful experience (bite), leading to a conditioned fear response.
5. Step 5: Conclude that this example best fits classical conditioning because it demonstrates how a neutral stimulus (dog) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (pain from bite) to produce a conditioned response (fear).