Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are different learning methods. Both methods have the word conditioning in common. What is conditioning? Conditioning is the acquisition of specific behavioral patterns in the presence of well-defined stimuli. Classical and operant conditioning are fundamental forms of learning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral one. Reflex manipulation does this. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the probability of a behavior is increased or decreased through the use of reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning concerns a more cognitive thought process. These two forms of learning have similarities and differences. Their similarities are that they both produce fundamental phenomena. One of these phenomena is acquisition. Both types of conditioning result in the inheritance of behavior. One of the most famous experiments illustrating classical conditioning is Pavlov's Dogs. In this experiment, Pavlov sat behind a two-way mirror and controlled the presentation of a bell. The bell was the conditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus was an initially neutral stimulus that could possibly produce a desired response when presented alone. Immediately after the bell rang, Pavlov gave the dog food. Food was the unconditioned stimulus. This means that the food caused an uncontrollable response whenever it was presented alone. This response would be the dog's salivation. A tube in the dog's mouth then measured the saliva. When the unconditioned stimulus (US) was paired with a conditioned stimulus (CS), this ultimately resulted in a conditioned response. Extinction occurs if there is a decrease in the frequency or strength of a learned response due to the inability to continue to associate the US and the CS. Extinction can also occur in operant conditioning. The key to operant conditioning is reinforcement. Reinforcement occurs when a stimulus is presented that increases the likelihood that the previous response will occur again in the future. If reinforcement is withheld, extinction will occur in operant conditioning. Another factor involved in conditioning is spontaneous recovery. It is the reappearance of a extinguished response after the passage of time, without additional training. If Pavlov's dogs did not hear the bell for a few years, and when they heard it later, they drooled, this would be an example of spontaneous healing. Something similar happens with operant conditioning..