Final answer:
Operant conditioning involves learning voluntary behaviors based on consequences, while classical conditioning involves associating an involuntary response with a neutral stimulus that becomes conditioned, as demonstrated by Pavlov's experiments with dogs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship of operant conditioning to classical conditioning is similar to the relationship of a voluntary behavior's response to an involuntary, or reflexive, response. Specifically, operant conditioning involves an animal learning to associate a voluntary behavior with its consequences (rewards or punishments), resulting in a behavior that is modified by those outcomes. This method of learning is seen in B.F. Skinner's experiments where animals learned to perform certain behaviors to receive rewards. On the other hand, in classical conditioning, as seen in Pavlov's dog experiments, an animal learns to associate an involuntary, reflexive response with a previously neutral stimulus that becomes conditioned.
As a result, in classical conditioning, the conditioned response is triggered by a conditioned stimulus, without a voluntary action being taken by the subject. In contrast, operant conditioning depends on the subject to perform a voluntary behavior that is then influenced by the consequence it produces. This fundamental difference highlights how conditioned behaviors are fostered through different associative learning mechanisms in each conditioning type.