Question

Describe elements of classical conditioning by applying the Pavlov's experiment with a dog.

Answer 1

Answer is as follows:

In his laboratory ,while studying the functioning of the digestive system,a russian psychologist named pavlov(1849-1936)encountered with a problem :the experimental dogs not only salivated upon actual eating but also when they saw the food ,noticed the man who usually brought it,or even heard the footsteps of the feeder.Pavlov began to study this phenomenon ,which is " conditioning".Now we will discuss it after discussing the experiment,that is as follows

Pavlov kept a dog hungry for few days and then tied him on the experimental table which was fitted with certain mechanically controlled devices.The dog was started feeling uncomfortable.Food was arranged for the dog through automatic devices.Every time when the food was presented to the dog and bell was rung,there was automatic secretion of saliva from the mouth of the dog,The activity of presenting the food accompanied with a ringing of the bell was repeated many timesand the amount of saliva secreted was measured.after several trials ,the dog was given no fod and the bell was rug and even though in the absence of food the dog secrete the saliva.(i.e natural response )thus ,the above experiment brings out the picture of four essential elements of the conditional process

.FIRST is, the natural stimulus ,technically known as unconditional stimulus(US)i.e food .

SECOND is ,the natural response known as unconditioned response(UR)

THIRD is the artificial stimulus like the ringing of the bell which is technically known as conditioned stimulus (*CS).It is substituted in the place of natural stimulus .

FOURTH is the chain of the conditioning,process.However as a result of conditioning ,one learns to produce behaviour to form conditioned response as a reaction of conditioned stimulus.

so the theory of conditioning is considered to be as the habit formulation and is based on the principle of Association and substitution.