Which type of conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus?

The correct answer is classical conditioning. This form of learning involves forming an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus. In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus after repeated pairings with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually eliciting a conditioned response that is similar to the unconditioned response.

For instance, in Ivan Pavlov's famous experiment, the sound of a bell (the neutral stimulus) was paired with the presentation of food (the unconditioned stimulus), leading dogs to salivate (the unconditioned response). Over time, the sound of the bell alone (now the conditioned stimulus) could produce salivation (the conditioned response), demonstrating the learned association.

This contrasts with operant conditioning, which involves modifying behavior through rewards or punishments rather than associating stimuli. Social conditioning is not a commonly recognized term within psychological frameworks and doesn't specifically refer to a recognized learning process. Observational learning, on the other hand, involves learning by watching and imitating others rather than through direct stimulus-response associations. Thus, classical conditioning distinctly describes the process of associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, leading to learned responses.