Final answer:
Classical conditioning involves a neutral stimulus becoming associated with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response after repeated pairings, as demonstrated in Pavlov's dog experiments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Classical conditioning is a learning process in which a previously neutral stimulus (CS) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (US) to elicit a conditioned response (CR). In the context of Ivan Pavlov's experiments with dogs, the unconditioned stimulus (US) was the food which naturally caused the dogs to salivate. This salivation is referred to as the unconditioned response (UR), a natural reaction. The dogs heard a bell ring every time they were about to be fed, and this bell became the conditioned stimulus (CS). After several pairings of the bell with the food, the sound of the bell alone started to elicit salivation in the dogs, which is known as the conditioned response (CR).
Considering another example, suppose the sound of your toaster popping up toast makes your mouth water. In this situation, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) would be the toast itself, which naturally causes the mouth to water - the unconditioned response (UCR). Through repeated pairings, the sound of the toaster becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS), and the mouth watering in anticipation is the conditioned response (CR).