Discuss the principles of classical conditioning in psychology.

Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus and elicits a similar response. The process involves three stages: acquisition, extinction, and spontaneous recovery. In the famous experiment by Ivan Pavlov, dogs were conditioned to salivate in response to the sound of a bell (neutral stimulus) by repeatedly pairing it with the presentation of food (meaningful stimulus). Eventually, the bell alone could elicit the salivary response, demonstrating classical conditioning.