Fear conditioning is a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a fearful or aversive event, leading to the development of a fear response to that previously neutral stimulus.
Related terms
Unconditioned Stimulus (US): A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers an unconditioned response without any prior learning.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A formerly neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response as a result of the association.
Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to a conditioned stimulus that occurs after conditioning has taken place.