Have you ever been at a stop light and noticed the cars beside you inching closer to the intersection even though the traffic light is red? Why do they keep moving? They cannot go anywhere. Yet, they still inch bit by bit into the intersection. The funny thing is that the people behind them or beside them do the same. What about people boarding an airplane? Why do they stand in front of the gate even before boarding? These scenarios have one thing in common (and it is not only impatient people). It is conditioned behavior.

Conditioning is a type of associative learning. This means that we begin to associate events with behaviors. For example, everyone knows the sound your microwave makes when its done heating food. If you hear the same sound somewhere else, you will react to it. Likewise, if you train your dog to sit before getting a treat after a while the dog will start sitting the moment he sees you grabbing a treat. The more this event happens, the more likely it will be repeated in the future; especially if the result is positive (see Premack’s Principle).

Conditioning is a key element in behavioral therapy. Therapists aim to break previous negative associations and replace them with positive associations. Many conditioning techniques are used to treat depression, anxiety, and especially phobias. Conditioning helps us manage the everyday chores. For example, we know what to do when a phone rings, or when someone honks a horn. We are familiar with the sound of a fire alarm, police siren or an ambulance. Conditioning helps us react immediately to situations without stopping to process what is happening.

While human behavior is more complex than animals, some principles apply. Simply look at a bus stop. The people sitting on the bench waiting for the bus begin to stand up when the bus is about to arrive, even if the bus is not in sight. The same applies to boarding airplanes. The closer the time gets to board the plane, the more people stand in front of the gate. This type of behavior can be beneficial to us in our daily life. Imagine if you could not tell when the food you are cooking was about done? Most of the time it would overcook.

So next time you see a person inching closer to the intersection, just imagine your hand reaching for a treat.