Pavlov salivation reflex in dogs

Question 1

Describe the aim of Pavlov’s salivation experiment

Answer 1

To find out if reflexive behaviour can be produced in new situations through learning and to see if associating a reflex with a natural stimulus causes learning to take place, producing a conditioned reflex in new situations.

Question 2

Describe the conclusions of Pavlov’s salivation experiment

Answer 2

1. Discovered classical conditioning
2. The neutral stimulus, after being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus, turned into a conditioned stimulus, producing the conditioned response
3. Brains learn to see the new sound as a signal and link reflex to it

Question 3

What is the advantage of Pavlov’s salivation study

Answer 3

1. It has high reliability
   - It used standardised procedures and it was carefully documented

• Pavlov repeated the study many times over 25 years, with different dogs and different neutral stimuli
• He got different researchers to observe the dogs and measure saliva volumes
• This gives the research inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability

Question 4

Describe the method of Pavlov’s salivation experiment

Answer 4

1. Repeated measures designed with 35 dogs each in a sealed room that didn’t let the dog see or hear to prevent any external stimuli
2. The dog was in a harness, its mouth was linked to a tube that drained saliva into a measuring tube
3. In the control condition, the dog was presented with food through a hatch and the dog salivated
4. In the experimental control, the dog heard a neutral stimulus sound, and the dog didn’t salivate showing its natural stimulus
5. To condition the dog, the sound was paired with the presentation of food 20 times
6. After the dog was conditioned, Pavlov presented the dog with the sound and no meat

Question 5

What is the application of Pavlov’s salivation study?

Answer 5

1. Real-world application to the research of behavioural psychology
   - John Watson was inspired by Pavlov and conditioned little Albert to show fear

• Watson and Skinner promoted the school of behaviourism, leading to programmes for changing human behaviour
• An example is aversion therapy which had some success in curing people with addictions

Question 6

Describe the results of Pavlov’s salivation experiment

Answer 6

1. Conditioned dog started to salivate after 9 seconds of hearing the sounds and by 45 seconds, had produced 11 drops of saliva

Question 7

What is the disadvantage of Pavlov’s salivation study

Answer 7

1. Low ecological validity
   - The dogs were kept in unnatural and unusual conditions

• They were tied up in a harness in a box, cut off from other dogs and humans, with a drip attached to their mouths
• The dogs also heard unusual stimuli
• So their reactions weren’t natural and representative of their behaviours in a natural environment