Table : TABLE 5.1 REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
TypePairing of Neutral and USExpected Response
AdvertisingRepeated pairing of products such as automobiles (neutral stimulus) with celebrities (US)Automatic response to celebrity (UR), such as sexual response, heart racing, desire; pairing leads to similar response, such as sexual response, heart racing, desire (CR) to the product (CS).
FearsPairing of a dog lunging (US) at you on the street (neutral stimulus) where you take your morning run
One pairing of seeing a car in the rearview mirror (neutral stimulus) and being rear-ended by that car (US)
Automatic response to the dog lunging at you is fear or startle (UR); pairing leads to similar response of fear (CR) to the street (CS) where the dog lives.
Automatic response to the impact of the collision leads to a fear response (UR); with one pairing, the sight of a car approaching in the rearview mirror (CS) elicits a fearful reaction (CR).
FetishesRepeated pairings of originally nonsexual objects like shoes (neutral stimuli) and sexual activity (US)Automatic response to sexual activity (UR) is sexual arousal, leading to an association of sexual pleasure (CR) with objects such as shoes or undergarments (CS).
RomanceRepeated pairings of a cologne (neutral stimulus) with your romantic partner (US)Automatic response to your feelings for your partner is sexual arousal (UR); paired with the cologne (CS), leads to sexual arousal (CR).
The implications of classical conditioning extend far beyond salivating dogs. These are just a few examples of how this form of learning impacts human life.