In Pavlov's original experiment of classical conditioning, dogs learned to salivate at the sound of a metronome when the metronome was repeatedly paired with the presentation of food. The food is referred to as the unconditioned response.

Unconditioned Response

A spontaneous and inherent response to a trigger that happens without previous education or conditioning.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus, famously demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov’s experiments with dogs.

Pavlov

A Russian physiologist best known for his work in classical conditioning, particularly through his experiments with dogs.