Classical conditioning (Pavlov 1927)

Question 1

Aims

Answer 1

To find out if a reflexive behaviour can be produced in new situations through learning.

Question 2

IV

Answer 2

the dogs natural reflex

Question 3

DV

Answer 3

how many drops of saliva the dogs produced

Question 4

Type of experiment

Answer 4

repeated measures design done in a lab

Question 5

How did Pavlov limit the number of extraneous variables

Answer 5

Dogs were placed in a sealed room so they couldn’t hear or smell anything other than what was is the room

Question 6

Procedure

Answer 6

Measured salivation in response to NS, which was a bell. Then NS paired with UCS (food) around 20 times.

Extinction of salivation was also measured by presenting the new CS (bell) without the UCS

Question 7

Findings

Answer 7

NS, the bell, did not elicit a salivation response, whereas UCS of food elicited immediate salivation.

After pairing of NS and UCS, the NS did elicit salivation typically a few seconds after it was presented

Extinction was found when the CS, the bell, was presenetd without the UCS. The dog lost this response of salivating to the bell.

Question 8

Conclusion

Answer 8

Link is likely to be made in the brain between a UCS and a NS that occurs just before the UCS. This was called signalisation.

Question 9

Weakness of generalisability

Answer 9

As the study was conducted on dogs it cannot be generalised to humans.

Question 10

Weakness of generalisability: why can’t the study be generalised to humans

Answer 10

human have a very differently structure brain to dogs and other animals

Question 11

Weakness of generalisability: evidence of humans having different brain structure to humans

Answer 11

Humans have larger cerebral cortex than dogs which allows for more complex emotions like conscious choice.

Question 12

Competing arguement for weakness of generalisability

Answer 12

Watson and Rayner’s Little albert study proves that its possible for classical conditioning to work on humans.
Although they can conciously overcome conditioned reflexes, it’s hard to do this.

Question 13

Strength of the internal validity

Answer 13

Pavlov implemented good controls to reduce the amount of extraneous variables that would affect the dogs.

Question 14

Strength of the internal validity: evidence of these good controls

Answer 14

The dogs were placed in a soundproof room so there would be no noise to distract them.

Question 15

Strength of the internal validity: what did these controls mean for the results

Answer 15

the salivation was actually caused by the conditioned stimulus was actually due to the conditioning and not extraneous variables.

Question 16

Strength of application

Answer 16

Pavlov’s study has good clinical applications in understanding eating problems.

Question 17

Strength of application: evidence that pavlovs study have good applications to understanding eating problems

Answer 17

Obesity can be understood in terms of conditioned responses like pavlovs dogs. Researcehrs suggest overweight children have acquired strong associations with ques that predict when food is ready and salivation response

Question 18

Strength of application: what does this application suggest

Answer 18

demonstrates its significance in developing therapies like systematic desensitisation