What phenomenon occurs when a neutral stimulus takes on emotional properties?

The phenomenon where a neutral stimulus takes on emotional properties is known as classical conditioning. This process involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally evokes an emotional response. Over time, the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the emotional response, and eventually, it can elicit that response on its own, even in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus.

For example, in Pavlov's famous experiment, a bell (neutral stimulus) was rung every time food (unconditioned stimulus) was presented to dogs. After several pairings, the dogs began to salivate (conditioned response) merely at the sound of the bell, which had originally been a neutral stimulus. This phenomenon demonstrates how emotional responses can be conditioned through association, highlighting the fundamental principles of learning in social psychology.