Classical ConditioningClassical ConditioningIvan PavlovClassical ConditioningPY-100April 2002Jason Forsythe#ABSTRACT1904 Nobel Prize Winner, Ivan Pavlov was born in Ryazan, Russia on September 14, 1849. Pavlov is best known for his intricate workings with the drooling dog experiment that lead to his further research in conditioning. This experiment, which began in 1889, had an influence on the development of physiologically oriented behaviorist theories of psychology in the early years of the nineteenth century. His work on the physiology of the digestive glands won him the 1904 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
CONTRIBUTIONSPavlovs first independent work focused on the physiology of the circulation of the blood (Girogian, 1974). He studied the influence of variations in blood volume on blood pressure. He also investigated the nervous control of the heart, and argued that four types of nerves control rhythm and strength of cardiac contractions. It was during this first independent study that Pavlov used unanesthetized, neurologically intact dogs (Girogian, 1974). This method became the mainstay of Pavlov’s methodology.
Pavlov’s second independent work centered primarily around digestion. He started studying digestion as early as 1879, and it was his major focus from 1890 to 1897 (Girogian, 1974). His work was an accumulation of observations on the nervous control of one organ system through the method of chronic experiment (Girogian, 1974). The study of digestion involved developing “fistulas” through which secretions from salivary glands, stomach, the pancreas, and small intestine could be collected (Girogian, 1974). His technique was truly unique in that he did not cut the nerve supply nor contaminate the secretions with food.
The most famous and well-known experiment of Pavlov is that he conditioned dogs to start a salivary response to the sound of a bell. He began by measuring the amount of salivation in response to only food. As the experiments continued, he rang a bell as he presented the food (Girogian, 1974). Again, he noted a salivary response. Finally, by only ringing the bell, Pavlov observed the same response as having presented food to the dogs . . . salivation (Girogian, 1974). These experiments defined what has been a “conditioned response”.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONINGClassical Conditioning is the type of learning made famous by Pavlovs experiments with dogs. In an article titled, An Animal Owner’s Guide to Operant and Classical Conditioning, by Stacy Braslau explained the process of the experiment. Pavlov presented dogs with food, and measured their salivary response (how much they drooled). Then he began ringing a bell just before presenting the food. At first, the dogs did not begin salivating until the food was presented. After a while, however, the dogs began to salivate when the sound of the bell was presented. They learned to associate the sound of the bell with the presentation of the food. As far as their immediate physiological responses were concerned, the sound of the bell became equivalent to the presentation of the food.
Through Ivan Pavlovs experiment with dogs and their reaction to stimulus, he set the basis for Classical conditioning. The methods of how classical conditioning works can be described in the following sequence (Mischel, 1993, p. 296):
There exists an unconditioned, natural response, like a reflex (called a UCR)There exists a stimulus that triggers this response (called the UCS)Eventually, the organism (man, dog, ect.) will begin to associate the UCR with the UCSOnce the behavior is learned, the UCR may take place even when the UCS is simulatedAt that point, the response it referred to as conditioned (or a CR)The stimulus is then referred to as a conditioned, or learned as well (or CS)Stimuli unrelated to the UCR may be imposed simultaneously to the UCSThough unrelated, like the UCS, these stimuli will be associated to the UCREventually, once learned, even these unrelated stimuli can trigger the CRThe theory of Classical conditioning can be used to describe many events in people’s lives. For example, the amount a person likes another
The Theory of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
A common use for this method of treating disorders of cognition is treating people with Alzheimer’s disease. We are told that people with Alzheimer’s disease have a lower tolerance for these “pain-inducing” effects of everyday human behavior and we are told this behavior can be traced back to previous experiences. We get a clear message that this is just all part of a general psychology myth. We then see a large number of people who also develop an eating disorder or obesity, yet our treatment approach is often seen as counterintuitive. If these issues are treated, then the condition will disappear and a new and different type of cognitive behavioral therapy can be sought. However, there is one problem with this approach. According to Dr. Sankara, these are people who take a food and then the food is withdrawn, without having the food be fully in their system. Instead, the food suddenly becomes unresponsive to the “tremendous pain.” Once a person’s eating disorder is removed from them, they can go back to their normal eating and will be able to stop eating. This way you may not have to worry about the symptoms being too severe, for a treatment plan to work, the diet not too balanced or the eating so good that you suddenly forget about it all. A treatment plan might be written into the DSM and then it’s available in the DSM-2. There are more “therapeutic models” that are used in order to bring patients into a treatment regimen. Many of the “research” on this type of therapy is written at a more basic level.
A good starting point for some people to get their attention is to start practicing this approach first as an individual, and then as an individual as well. This is because there is no need for the individual to actually get into a treatment plan. This also means you should start practicing this approach by yourself, having your food and taking advantage of the “lack of stress” in your body. Once you get started, you are able to take responsibility for your actions, because not only am I going to be healthy for the duration of my therapy, but many of you are going to feel better in the long run. As with the “therapeutic model” mentioned above, there is no need to take action to make the condition go away or to stop eating. As with the “clinical” model mentioned above, this is an alternative path to many of the “therapeutic” techniques.
Dr. Sankara was well aware of this. One week before his last lecture, he gave a presentation on “Therapies for Adolescent and Older Adults” at the Boston Convention Center. He gave the TED talk that was mentioned in the presentation which is available online. The TED lecture is not the primary source for the TED presentation. Instead, it is the most complete and accurate summary of the TED talk that came out of Dr. Sankara’s paper and that he provides. This presentation is by far the most complete and accurate presentation of many TED presentations that follow Dr. Sankara’s TED talk and does so with