Associative Learning

Associative learning occurs when a connection is made between two stimuli or events. For example, a child may learn to clean their room regularly if they receive praise or a reward each time they do so.

Conditioning is the process of forming these associations, such as between cleaning a room and receiving praise or a reward.

Behaviorists have studied two types of conditioning to understand associative learning — classical and operant conditioning.

Classical conditioning involves associating two stimuli. For instance, a child may feel nervous when hearing a dentist's drill after repeatedly hearing it before dental treatments.

Likewise, operant conditioning involves associating behavior with consequences. For example, a child might learn to sit still during a dental visit if they receive a sticker or a small toy as a reward each time they do so.

The positive reinforcement of receiving a reward encourages the child to continue sitting still during future dental visits, reinforcing the desired behavior.

Punishment, also a kind of conditioning, reduces the occurrence of undesired behavior. For example, a child may sit still during a dental visit to avoid being scolded by the dentist.