Which programming concept allows for conditional execution based on certain criteria?

The concept that allows for conditional execution based on certain criteria is branching. Branching enables a program to make decisions and execute different blocks of code depending on whether specific conditions are met. This is typically achieved through control structures such as "if" statements, "switch" statements, or similar constructs in various programming languages.

For instance, in an "if" statement, the program evaluates a condition (such as whether a variable is greater than a certain value) and executes one block of code if the condition is true and potentially another block of code if the condition is false. This dynamic flow is essential for creating responsive applications that can alter their behavior based on user input or other changing variables.

In contrast, other programming concepts like looping involve executing a block of code repeatedly until a condition is met, sequence refers to the order of operations where each statement runs one after another without conditions, and event handling pertains to responding to user-generated events or triggers but does not inherently involve conditional logic in the same way that branching does.