Major Movements in Psychology


How is classical conditioning relevant to animal behavior?

As (non-human) animals lack higher cognitive abilities, such as complex reasoning, symbolic thought, or language, associative conditioning is a primary way that animals learn. Does your cat love to sit on the couch and purr? Does she associate the couch with affection and attention? Does your dog start to bark and wag his tail when you put on your shoes? Does he associate your shoes with his walk?

