Classical conditioning - Pavlov's dogs study Flashcards
What was the aim ?
To study how the cerebral cortex works in making associations & to look for a mechanism linking reflexes to cerebral cortex
What did Pavlov study ?
Reflex of salivating & could a dog conditioned to salivate to completely unrelated stimulus
What neutral stimulus were used ?
- Metronome
- Bell
- Buzzer
What did Pavlov pair ?
Netural stimulus = metronome with food (UCS) to produce same response of salivation
How did they eliminate possible EVs ?
- Isolated dog in small room
- Secured to a harness
- Attached device that diverted saliva to measuring instrument
- Footsteps outside not heard
How did they present food ?
- From adjacent room
- First = slid bowl into room
- Later = blew meat powder into mouth at precise moment
What happened right before the food was placed in the dogs mouth ?
Sounded metronome
How long after metronome sounded did salivation start, for how long & how much was collected ?
Started after 9s & by 45s, 11 drops collected
What other objects did salivation generalise to ?
- Bell
- Buzzer
- Light
- Touch on the leg
- Sight of a circle
What were the results ?
- Dog only salivate when NS/CS presented before UCS
- Dog had to be alert & no distractions
- Found higher order conditioning was possible = shape or colour (CS2) with sound of metronome (CS1)
- Generalisation to sounds of similar tone, but discrimination between different tones
How is the study generalisable ?
- Support from Watson & Rayner
- Can classically condition humans
How does the study lack generalisable ?
- Animal research
- Complex differences e.g. language & cognitive abilities
- Humans have different higher order processing
How is the study reliable ?
- Standardised procedures
- Repeated many experiments on dogs = continually found CS would produce CR
How does the study lack reliability ?
- Unable to measure brain activity in any direct way = assume what was happening in cerebral cortex
- Couldn’t study exact mechanisms without fMRI scanning
- Felt he had shown inbuilt pathways lead from UCS to UCR
How is the study high in internal validity ?
- Based on empirical evidence & controlled experiment = highly scientific
- Use of animals allows reduction in EVs = level over environment
- Animals cant show participant variables = no demand characteristics
How does the study lack ecological validity & mundane realism ?
- Took naturalness out of study & situation
- Dog in chamber & no other stimuli present
- Real life behaviour not looked at
How does the study have ethical concerns ?
- Dogs may have been distressed
- Kept in cage & operated on
- Social animals = harm
What are applications ?
- Prompted further research leading to explanations of phobias & development of appropriate treatment
- CC = used in treatment of alcoholism, processes apply to humans
