What is the difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning?

The distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning centers on the mechanisms through which learning occurs. Classical conditioning, pioneered by figures like Ivan Pavlov, is based on the principle of forming associations between stimuli. In this type of learning, a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus that elicits an automatic response, leading to a conditioned response when presented with the previously neutral stimulus.

Operant conditioning, advanced by B.F. Skinner, involves learning through the consequences of behavior. In this framework, behaviors are shaped and maintained by reinforcements or punishments that follow them. The key difference is that operant conditioning focuses on how voluntary behaviors are influenced by their outcomes, whereas classical conditioning emphasizes the association between involuntary responses and stimuli.

By identifying classical conditioning as involving associations between stimuli and operant conditioning as involving consequences to shape behavior, this answer accurately captures the fundamental characteristics that differentiate the two types of learning.