Before conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus naturally produces a specific response. For example, food presented to a dog serves as an unconditioned stimulus that produces salivation without prior learning.

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Classical conditioning involves three distinct phases. Before conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned response, and a neutral stimulus produces no response. During conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly just after the neutral stimulus. After conditioning, the neutral stimulus alone produces a conditioned response.

Classical Conditioning Phases

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Unconditioned Stimulus (Classical Conditioning)

An unconditioned response is the unlearned, natural reaction elicited by an unconditioned stimulus. For example, a dog naturally salivating over a dish of food is an unconditioned response.

Unconditioned Response (Classical Conditioning)

A neutral stimulus is a stimulus that does not naturally elicit a specific response. Before conditioning, presenting a neutral stimulus, such as ringing a bell, does not produce a response like salivation.

Neutral Stimulus (Classical Conditioning)

During conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly just after the presentation of a neutral stimulus. After conditioning, the neutral stimulus alone produces a conditioned response, thus becoming a conditioned stimulus (e.g., a bell causing salivation).

Conditioned Stimulus (Classical Conditioning)

A conditioned response is the learned reaction produced by a conditioned stimulus after conditioning. For example, a dog salivating in response to a bell being rung, without the presence of food, is a conditioned response.

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