Applied Behavior Analysis Technician (ABAT) Practice Test

What is the process called when a previously neutral stimulus becomes conditioned after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus?

1. Operant Conditioning

2. Classical Conditioning

3. Higher-order Conditioning

4. Behavior Modification

The correct answer is: Classical Conditioning

The process in which a previously neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus is known as classical conditioning. This form of learning was famously demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov, who showed that dogs could learn to associate the sound of a bell (the neutral stimulus) with food (the unconditioned stimulus), leading to salivation (the conditioned response) at the sound of the bell alone. In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus naturally elicits a response without any prior learning, while the neutral stimulus is initially irrelevant. Through repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus and begins to evoke a similar response on its own, thus becoming a conditioned stimulus. Other concepts listed, such as operant conditioning, focus on learning through the consequences of behavior rather than associative learning. Higher-order conditioning refers to a situation where a conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus to create another conditioned response, but it relies on an already established conditioned stimulus. Behavior modification is a broader term that encompasses various techniques used to change behavior, often utilizing principles from both operant and classical conditioning.