pavlov: classical conditioning in dogs (1927)

• pavlov: aim

  to investigate if dogs could learn to associate a neutral stimulus of a metronome with receiving food producing a salivation response (CR)
• pavlov: sample

  pavlov used 35 different breeds of dogs that were raised in lab conditions
• pavlov: procedure

  pavlov's dogs had a tube attached to their salivary glands which drained the saliva into a measuring apparatus

  each dog was placed in an isolated sound proof room and restrained in a harness

  pavlov set up a series of trails to test his aim

  the dog was fed a bowl of meat and a metronome was heard for a few seconds or the metronome was started and no food was given
• pavlov: procedure (before learning, after learning and during learning)

  before learning - food leads to salivation and the sound of the metronome produces no response

  during learning - food is repeated paired with metronome leading to salivation

  after learning - metronome leads to salivation on its own
• pavlov: results

  the dogs learnt to salivate at the sound of the metronome even when the food was not presented with it

  pavlov found that the conditioned dog started to salivate 9 seconds after hearing the metronome and by 45 seconds and produced 11 drops of saliva
• pavlov: conclusion

  he concluded that it was possible to condition an automatic reflex to occur at the presence of a neutral stimulus (metronome) as the dogs learnt to associate salivation with sound rather than with food via a process called 'signalisation' in the cerebral cortex

  the sound of the metronome is the signal for food and the dog reacts to the signal in the same way as if it was food
• pavlov: generalisability (-)

  pavlov used dogs which are less complex so physiologically different to humans

  therefore findings can't be used to accurately generalise to how humans could learn via classical conditioning as a sample of dogs is not representative of the human population
• pavlov: standardised (+)

  pavlov used a standardised pairing of food and metronome so all dogs were treated the same with the same procedure

  so high in reliability as consistent findings about classic conditioning can be found and the procedure can also be replicated to check for consistency of results in the future
• pavlov: ethics (-)

  pavlov study had low ethical considerations as dogs were caged and social environment was poor due to them being harnessed in a sound proof room isolated

  therefore being restricted could cause dogs to become distressed when researching classical conditioning
• pavlov: high controls (+)

  all dogs were in a sound proof room the metronome and food presented

  so high in internal validity as accurately measuring classical conditioning of salivation to metronome as other noises are excluded
• pavlov: artificial environment (-)

  pavlov study was in a highly artificial environment as all dogs were harnessed and in a sound proof room

  so may not be representative of how classical conditioning of dogs works in the real world so low in ecological validity as carried out in a highly unnatural environment so can't be generalisable to how classical conditioning would work the real world
• pavlov: quantitative data (+)

  pavlov gathered results of the number of saliva drops produced per dog which can be objectively analysed

  therefore high in validity as more accurately assessed data due to less researcher basis when researching classical conditioning so accurate conclusions and comparisons can be made about dog salivation