Pavlov - Classical Conditioning

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Background: Pavlov originally was investigating saliva produced by dogs. When observing the dogs, he realised that they would salivate not only when food was served, but also in response to other stimuli associated with feeding time, such as the sound of a bell, or the presence of a lab assistant. This observation led Pavlov to explore the concept of the "conditioned reflex," where a neutral stimulus, when paired repeatedly with an unconditioned stimulus 

Aim: To investigate whether a neutral stimulus (NS/bell) could elicit a conditioned response (CR/salivation) through association with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS/food).

Method

Research Method and Design: A controlled laboratory experiment with repeated measures design.


Variables:

  • Independent variable: neutral stimulus paired with unconditioned stimulus

  • Dependent variable: presence of saliva

Sample: A group of dogs, the exact number of which is not specified in the available sources.

Procedure:

1: Selection of Subjects

  • Pavlov selected dogs as the subjects for his experiment.

  • The dogs were kept in a controlled environment.

  • This was to ensure accurate observation and measurement of their responses.


2: Establishing the Unconditioned Response

  • Food was presented to the dogs.

  • The dogs naturally salivated upon seeing and smelling the food.

  • This response was measured using a tube attached to their salivary glands.

  • This stage confirmed that food (UCS) naturally triggered salivation (UCR).


3: Introduction of a Neutral Stimulus

  • Pavlov introduced a neutral stimulus—a bell sound.

  • When the bell was rung without food, the dogs did not salivate.

  • This established that the bell had no natural connection to salivation.


4: Conditioning (Repeated Pairing of Stimuli)

  • Pavlov repeatedly rang the bell just before presenting food to the dogs.

  • The dogs would hear the bell and then immediately receive food.

  • Over multiple trials, the dogs began to associate the bell sound with the arrival of food.


5: Testing the Conditioned Response

  • After several conditioning sessions, Pavlov rang the bell without presenting any food.

  • The dogs salivated upon hearing the bell alone.

  • This indicated that the bell had become a Conditioned Stimulus (CS).

  • Salivation in response to the bell was now a Conditioned Response (CR).

Results: After several pairings, the dogs began to salivate in response to the previously neutral stimulus alone, indicating that the stimulus had become conditioned.

Conclusion: Pavlov concluded that neutral stimuli could become conditioned stimuli when associated with unconditioned stimuli, leading to conditioned responses. This process was termed "classical conditioning."

Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes: An Investigation of the Physiological Activity of the Cerebral Cortex (G. V. Anrep, Trans.). Oxford University Press.

McLeod, S. (2024, February 2). Pavlov’s Dogs Experiment & Pavlovian Conditioning response. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html 

 

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