50+ Examples of Classical Conditioning in Everyday Life

Have you heard of Pavlov’s dogs? That’s the experiment conducted by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov wherein his dogs started to salivate when he rang a bell.

This is the best-known example of classical conditioning when a neutral stimulus is paired with a conditioned response. Did you know there are many classical conditioning examples in everyday life, too?

There are three stages of classical conditioning theory:

1.  Before Conditioning:

The first part requires the natural existing stimulus which will automatically elicit the response. For example, presenting food naturally causes salivation, whereas presenting food or the smell of food is an Unconditional Stimulus (UCS) which results in salivation, an Unconditional Response (UCR). At this moment, a Neutral Stimulus (a bell alone) does not affect the response yet.

2. During Conditioning:

During this phase, the Neutral Stimulus is paired with the unconditional stimulus. As a result of pairing, an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus is formed which now results in a Conditional Stimulus (CS).

For example, after triggering a bell (neutral stimulus) along with the smell of food (unconditional stimulus) multiple times, the sound of the bell alone will act as a Conditional Stimulus.

3. After Conditioning:

The Conditional Stimulus will evoke the response even without the unconditional stimulus which now results in a Conditional Response (CR). For example, the conditioned response would be feeling hungry when the bell is rung.

Classical conditioning isn’t only for dogs. Human behavior is also influenced quite a bit by it. It occurs in our daily life, but we just fail to recognize them. There are plenty of daily life activities that are associated with classical conditioning theory. Some of them are listed below

Examples Of Classical Conditioning In Everyday Life

Here are 50 examples of classical conditioning in everyday life:

1. Alarm Clock: Waking up at the sound of an alarm.
2. Coffee Smell: Feeling more awake when smelling coffee in the morning.
3. Doorbell Ringing: Dogs salivating when they hear the doorbell, expecting a visitor.
4. Food Commercials: Feeling hungry when seeing food commercials.
5. Restaurant Atmosphere: Feeling hungry when entering a favorite restaurant.
6. Text Message Notification: Feeling excited or anxious when hearing a text message notification.
7. Rain and Thunder: Feeling anxious during a storm due to past negative experiences.
8. Elevator Music: Feeling relaxed when hearing elevator music.
9. Perfume/Cologne: Associating a specific scent with a person or memory.
10. Pavlov’s Dogs: Salivating in response to the sound of a bell due to food association.
11. Dentist’s Office: Feeling anxious when entering a dentist’s office.
12. Traffic Light Colors: Associating green with “go” and red with “stop.”
13. Facebook Notification Sound: Feeling anticipation or excitement when hearing the Facebook notification sound.
14. Sizzle of Grilling: Feeling hungry when hearing the sound of food grilling.
15. Favorite Song: Feeling happy or nostalgic when hearing a favorite song.
16. Fireworks: Feeling excited on Independence Day due to the association with fireworks.
17. Ice Cream Truck Music: Children feeling excited when hearing the ice cream truck music.
18. Swimming Pool Smell: Associating the smell of chlorine with a swimming pool.
19. School Bell: Feeling relieved when hearing the school bell at the end of a class.
20. Door Opening: Dogs getting excited when they hear the door opening, expecting a walk.
21. Train Horn: Feeling alert when hearing a train horn.
22. Brand Logos: Feeling a sense of quality or trust with certain brand logos.
23. Popcorn at the Movies: Smelling popcorn and feeling hungry when entering a movie theater.
24. Textbook Smell: Feeling a sense of focus when smelling textbooks.
25. Holiday Traditions: Feeling joy during holidays due to associated traditions.
26. Taste of Toothpaste: Associating the taste of mint with toothpaste.
27. Work Uniform: Feeling a sense of responsibility when wearing a work uniform.
28. Phone Ringtone: Feeling excitement or anxiety when hearing a specific ringtone.
29. Hospital Smell: Feeling anxious or uneasy due to the smell associated with hospitals.
30. TV Show Theme Song: Feeling excited when hearing the theme song of a favorite TV show.
31. Traffic Jam: Feeling stressed when stuck in traffic.
32. Textbook Cover Design: Associating a specific textbook cover design with a particular subject.
33. Raincoat: Feeling prepared when wearing a raincoat during a storm.
34. Sunscreen Smell: Associating the smell of sunscreen with a day at the beach.
35. Warm Shower: Feeling relaxed when taking a warm shower.
36. Bus Engine Sound: Feeling sleepy when hearing the steady hum of a bus engine.
37. Cologne/Perfume Advertisements: Associating certain scents with attractiveness due to advertisements.
38. Microwave Ding: Feeling hungry when hearing the microwave ding, signaling that food is ready.
39. Favorite Chair: Feeling comfortable and relaxed when sitting in a favorite chair.
40. Cold Wind: Associating cold wind with the onset of winter.
41. Gym Playlist: Feeling motivated when hearing a specific playlist at the gym.
42. Car Engine Sound: Feeling excitement when hearing the engine start for a road trip.
43. Church Bell: Feeling calm when hearing church bells.
44. Holiday Lights: Feeling festive when seeing holiday lights.
45. Vending Machine Noise: Feeling a craving when hearing the noise of a vending machine.
46. Office Printer Sound: Feeling a sense of urgency when hearing the office printer.
47. Train Arrival Announcement: Feeling a sense of readiness when hearing a train arrival announcement.
48. Thunderstorm: Feeling fear or anxiety during a thunderstorm.
49. Bookstore Smell: Feeling a sense of calmness when smelling books in a bookstore.
50. Flip-flop Sound: Associating the sound of flip-flops with the beach or summer.

These examples illustrate how classical conditioning influences our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in various aspects of daily life.