Final answer:
Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning through experiments where dogs learned to associate bell ringing with food, resulting in salivation. This contrasts with operant conditioning, where behaviors are influenced by rewards or punishments. Similarly, a student learns to associate studying with positive grades through operant conditioning.
Step-by-step explanation:
Classical Conditioning in Pavlov's Dog Experiments
Ivan Pavlov, a Russian scientist, discovered classical conditioning through his work on the digestive system of dogs, which led to unexpected findings. Pavlov conducted experiments where a bell ringing would be followed by the presentation of food to dogs, causing them to salivate naturally. This natural salivation in response to food is known as the unconditioned response. In his experiments, Pavlov began ringing the bell without presenting food immediately after, and over time, the dogs started to salivate merely in response to the bell even without the food being present. This showed that the dogs had formed an association between the bell, which became the conditioned stimulus, and the act of salivation, now understood as the conditioned response.
Contrasting classical conditioning with operant conditioning, the latter involves training an animal by using reinforcements or punishments after a behavior. In operant conditioning, an animal learns to associate its own actions with consequences. For instance, if a pet presses a lever and receives food, it is likely to repeat this action to obtain more food, which is operant conditioning, versus associating an unrelated stimulus (like a bell) with food as in classical conditioning.
Regarding learning habits, conditioning can explain educational efforts. When you learn that studying can improve your grades on an AP test, you are leveraging operant conditioning. By studying and experiencing positive outcomes, you are more likely to repeat the studying behavior, associating your actions with the positive reinforcement of better grades.