The Classical Conditioning Paradigm

Abstract

Throughout this book, we will use classical conditioning as the main behavioral procedure to illustrate methods and techniques commonly used in behavioral neuroscience research. It therefore seems appropriate to begin this book with a thorough discussion of classical conditioning procedures. Because classical eyeblink conditioning has become the most frequently used classical conditioning procedure, much of our discussion will be centered on this procedure. Readers who are already familiar with this behavioral paradigm might want to skip the first part of this chapter and move on to the material on setting up classical conditioning experiments that appears later in the chapter.