Final answer:
Classical conditioning involves learning to associate a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response, as seen in Pavlov's experiments with dogs. Operant conditioning, however, deals with the association of voluntary behaviours and their consequences, such as using rewards or punishments to influence behaviour.
Step-by-step explanation:
Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning where an organism learns to connect a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, which produces an unconditioned response. Over time, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus, capable of eliciting the conditioned response on its own. This type of learning was pioneered by Ivan Pavlov through experiments with dogs, where a sound (neutral stimulus) became associated with food (unconditioned stimulus), eventually triggering salivation (conditioned response) with the sound alone.
In contrast, operant conditioning involves an organism learning to associate a behaviour with its consequences. Desirable consequences, like rewards, increase the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated, while undesirable consequences, like punishment, reduce its likelihood. This principle is applied extensively in training animals, such as rewarding a dolphin with a fish for performing a flip.
When comparing the two, it's important to recognize that in classical conditioning, the animal learns to associate a non-voluntary behaviour with an unusual stimulus, whereas in operant conditioning, the animal learns to associate a voluntary behaviour with its consequences.