Dogs And Classical Conditioning
The scientist who laid the important foundation and made a classic finding about classical conditioning is Ivan Pavlov, whose full name is Ivan Petrovitch Pavlov, was born in 1849 in Riazan - an area of central Russia in a large family. In 1860, Pavlov attended a seminary to succeed his father, becoming a priest. However, he did not like theology books but was very interested in the scientific books on physiology, especially Darwin's work on the theory of evolution. His life's work focused on identifying the connection between digestion and salivation by using experimental dog. He received the Nobel Prize for his efforts in Physiology and Medicine (1904) on the work of the basic mechanisms in the digestive system in mammals. By chance, he realized that dogs salivate when no food is given to them. That led him to the broadcast develop a theory of conditional reflection. Pavlov's theory was called by Classical Conditioning, for the first time offer testable descriptions and can testify on how some forms of learning happen. His theory has a great influence in the field of psychology and education, which I also believe that humans can be conditioned like animals.
Pavlov conducted a series of laboratory experiments on the relationship between saliva secretion and digestion in dogs. The study involves cutting the dog's salivary glands and re-attaching them outside the dog's cheek, where they are connected to test tubes. Using this technique, Pavlov can accurately measure the amount of saliva before, during and after digestion. In his experiments, Pavlov found that dogs salivate every time a researcher walked into the room. Observing dog behavior over time, Pavlov concluded that the dog began to salivate in the wait for feeding. Even when not bringing dog food, only seeing the laboratory ball is enough to make the dog salivate. Pavlov calls this phenomenon 'linked learning' meaning dogs have established a link between laboratory staff and food. Interested in this form of learning, Pavlov found that he could train dogs to spit at the bells. Pavlov describes the process in the following way and by giving each aspect a specific term:
When a dog is fed, it produces saliva called unconditional response (UCR) and food is unconditional stimulation(UCS)
Ring the bell just before bringing food. Originally, dogs do not salivate. The bell is a conditional stimulation (CS).
After a while the bell vibrates with food, the dog first salivates when food comes and every time the bell rings, Pavlov called this a response conditional (CR).
Even when Pavlov manipulated the bell to go up and down, that sound made the dog salivate, Pavlov called this generalization. He also observed that, when ringing the bell without giving the food, the dog's salivary response weakened and seemed to disappear, then Pavlov called this reaction extinction.
Crucially, he commented that the response the dog's effects do not disappear, they are hidden and can be quickly learned again - He called it spontaneous recovery. This is an important point, and you may notice it in practice. If you look at the example below, you will notice that learning seems to be losing, but it can be quickly recovered. Take example, your school has a 'policy to practice good attitude'. Every child soon says 'thank you' when you feed them breakfast. But after an amount of times, you see some children have stopped saying 'thank you', then with only one or two reminders the kids say 'thank you' again.
More specifically, this has also happened in my life, that is when I was a child. Every holiday I would go to my grandparent's hometown to spend the vacation. In my grandfather's yard had a bicycle, so I spent all the time for practicing cycling, and I did succeed. But when I went back for summer vacation, this time when I tried to ride a bicycle I always fell and failed. When I sadly told my mom about this, she helped me to hold the back of the saddle and encouraged me to try again. Miraculously I remembered how to ride a bicycle after a few tries, which proves that it can be recovery, it isn't completely gone.
Pavlov concludes that once learned, the bonds are difficult to remove. The notion that the links learned can be 'dormant' but will reappear when there is a reminder effect that is intimately related to those who are trying to overcome the phobia of fear, trying to overcome the alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, or trying to make healthy eating habits. Although Pavlov's experiments are limited to the laboratory, as we will see in the examples given and Watson's work with obsessive, the theory of classical conditioned gives us a strong explanation about some form of learning.
This theory of Ivan Pavlov still keeps happening and impacting in our everyday lives. For example, a small child is growled by a large dog, which makes the baby cried out of fear. Then whenever meeting a big dog, she or he will cry. A link has been established between fear and the dog, this fear can generalize every dog. After one time, the original cause may be forgotten but the fear remains. Not just that this theory can be used in teaching, like a teacher uses a bell to signal the silence. When the bell rang, all the children in class would fold their arms and keep silent on the table. After a while, the teacher just needs to raise the bell and the children will fold their arms and keep silent. There is a link has been established between the bell and the silent time. With all the linked and impaction, I believe that this theory of Pavlov can furthermore be seen in our everyday lives and also can be used in education field.
