Pavlov (1972)

• Pavlov's dogs experiment


  • Unconditioned stimulus = food
  • Unconditioned response = salivation
  • Neutral stimulus = bell
  • Conditioned stimulus = bell
  • Conditioned response = salivation
• Pavlov (1972): AIM


  to study and demonstrate the concept of classical conditioning in dogs
• Pavlov (1972): METHOD

  • sample: 30-35 dags
  • individually situated in secluded environments, secured with harnesses
  • food bowl was positioned before them, and a device was employed to gauge the frequency of their salivary glands secretions
  • presentation of stimuli varied, whether it be the bell, food (powdered meat) or both simultaneously.
• Pavlov (1972): RESEARCH DESIGN

  • experimental →objective quantitative
  • data collection tool: objective physiological measure (rate /amount of saliva production)
  • dogs presented with food → salivation
  • food was unconditioned stimulus
  • salivation was unconditioned response (innate/natural) - i.e. stimulus response that required no learning
• Pavlov (1972): RESEARCH DESIGN

  • unconditioned stimulus (food) → unconditioned response (salivate)
  • Pavlov used a bell as his neutral stimulus. By itself, bell does not elicit a response from the dogs neutral stimulus (bell) → no response
  • Pavlov began conditioning procedure, bell ring introduced just before food was given
  • After a repeated number of trials of this procedure, he presented the bell on its own. The sound of the bell now caused an increase in salivation
  • conditioned stimulus (bell) → conditioned response (salivate)
• Pavlov (1972): FINDINGS

  • the dog had learned an association between the bell and the food and a new behaviour had been learned.
  • because response was learned /conditioned, it is called a conditioned response → neutral stimulus has become conditioned
• Pavlov (1972): CONTRIBUTIONS TO PSYCHOLOGY

  • understanding of learning processes - basic form of learning
  • Pavlovian principles can influence human health, emotion, motivation, and therapy of psychological disorders
  • used to treat phobias through classical conditioning
  • exposure therapies expose people to what scares them
  • systematic desensitisation, pleasent and relaxed state is associated with increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli
• Pavlov (1972): CRITICISMS

  • findings: inability to generalise results from humans to dogs
  • method: only used dogs - didn't relate to other animals, stress of animals affects results, artificial setting (lab)
  • ethics: reduction, replacement, refinement, psychological + physical harm