It is vital that the pairing of the unconditioned stimulus and neural stimulus are close in proximity to one another and that the UCS always precedes the neural stimulus. .
Using a behavioral theory named classical conditioning, one can "condition" someone else to perform an involuntary behavior. The subject involuntarily performs the desired behavior of the teacher through the introduction of an unconditioned stimulus. There are 4 other important terms in the process of acquiring new learning through classical conditioning; neutral stimulus, conditioned stimulus, conditioned response, and unconditioned response. .
First, the teacher must know of a stimulus that involuntarily causes the subject to perform a behavior. For example, bringing a hot dog close to a dog will make them salivate. The stimulus that is introduced in this example (hot dog) is called the unconditioned stimulus and the behavior that the dog is performing (salivation) is called the unconditioned response. An unconditioned stimulus is a behavior or event that evokes an automatic response. An unconditioned response is the automatic behavior caused by the stimulus, which can be physiological or emotional (Ed Psych Modules, Bohlin). It is important to keep in mind that all throughout this process, no physiological changes cause the dog to salivate. The dog instinctively salivates due to the presence of the hot dog and cannot control his salivation. Next, the teacher chooses a neutral stimulus. This neutral stimulus evokes no automatic response; it only catches the individual's attention. Classical conditioning is based on the pairing of a neutral stimulus to an involuntary behavior. For example, if a bell is rung, the dog does not salivate. The bell is the neutral stimulus. .
Now that the unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, and neutral stimulus are all identified, it is time to pair the neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus.