What is the term for the automatic response that is developed through classical conditioning?

The term describing the automatic response developed through classical conditioning is known as a conditioned response. In classical conditioning, this process involves a neutral stimulus becoming associated with an unconditioned stimulus, resulting in a conditioned response. For instance, if a dog learns to salivate at the sound of a bell because that bell has been repeatedly paired with food (the unconditioned stimulus), the salivation in response to the bell is the conditioned response.

This response is not innate or instinctual, as is often the case with reflex actions or instinctual responses, which occur naturally without prior learning. It is also distinct from an unconditioned response, which is an automatic reaction that occurs without conditioning. Thus, the conditioned response represents the learned association established through the principles of classical conditioning.