Definition

Noun: An acquired response that is under the control of (conditional on the occurrence of) a specific stimulus. It is a learned reaction that occurs predictably when a particular signal or event is presented, due to a history of association between that signal and another event that naturally triggers the response.

Usage

This term is used primarily in the field of psychology, specifically in behavioral psychology and learning theory. It describes a reaction that an organism has learned to produce when a previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with a stimulus that naturally evokes a response.

Examples

• In Pavlov's famous experiment, the dog's salivation upon hearing a bell became a conditioned response.
• Feeling anxious when entering a dentist's office can be a conditioned response based on previous painful experiences.
• The researcher measured the strength of the conditioned response by tracking the subject's eye movements.

Advanced Usage

• Conditioned Emotional Response (CER): A specific type of conditioned response involving an emotional reaction, such as fear or pleasure, to a previously neutral stimulus.
• The term is often contrasted with an unconditioned response, which is an innate, reflexive reaction to a stimulus (e.g., flinching from a loud noise).

Variants and Related Words

• Conditioned Reflex: Often used synonymously with "conditioned response," emphasizing the automatic, reflexive nature of the learned behavior.
• Conditioned Stimulus: The originally neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger the conditioned response (e.g., the bell in Pavlov's experiment).
• Classical Conditioning: The learning process through which a conditioned response is established.

Synonyms

• Conditional response
• Conditioned reflex
• Acquired reflex
• Learned response

Antonyms

• Unconditioned response
• Innate response
• Reflex

Related Phrases

• To elicit a conditioned response: To cause the learned reaction to occur by presenting the conditioned stimulus.
  • The tone was used to elicit a conditioned response from the laboratory mice.
• To establish a conditioned response: To create the learned association through the process of conditioning.
  • The experiment aimed to establish a conditioned response to a flashing light.

Noun

1. an acquired response that is under the control of (conditional on the occurrence of) a stimulus