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1.3 Classical Conditioning 5

VetBooks.ir on a conventional title for his thesis (Animal due to how the responses were made by the
animal. Pavlov designed experiments involv­
intelligence), his goal was to investigate
animal stupidity (Walker 1983). The appara­
in one classic experiment Pavlov elicited
tus that Thorndike used to study animal ing unintentional behaviours. For example,
stupidity was called a puzzle box. To picture salivation in a dog by presenting the sound of
a puzzle box, think of a small wooden crate a metronome. The dog didn’t need to think
with wooden slats, in the box was some kind about his salivation; it was an automatic
of device (a sequence of strings that when response to the sound. Few people know that
pulled in the correct order would release a Pavlov was an established scientist who stud­
pin and open the box). The experiment ied processes of digestion. He made major
started with Thorndike placing a subject in advances in the study of digestion by devel­
the puzzle box. Thorndike put a hungry cat oping surgical techniques which in 1904,
into the box, with a piece of food visible out­ won him a Nobel Prize. Fewer people know
side the box. He found that the cats did not that although he is credited for discovering
understand the sequence of strings to open classical conditioning, this title should per­
the door. However, if that was the end of the haps go to a man named Edwin Twitmyer.
story, this chapter could end here. In fact, the Twitmyer’s PhD dissertation tested the
cats did get out and could get out again and knee‐jerk reflexes of college students by
again. He credited the cats’ escape to trial‐ sounding a bell half a second before hitting
and‐error learning, pointing out that the the patellar tendon. After repeatedly doing
animals weren’t using insight, inference, or this, he found that the sound of the bell
any other signs of ‘intelligence’ (Walker 1983). alone caused the knee‐jerk reflex. In 1904,
Out of these experiments came Thorndike’s Twitmyer presented his findings at the
law of effect. The law of effect states that if a American Psychological Association meet­
stimulus is followed by a behaviour that ing, where it drew no interest. From here,
results in a reward, the stimulus is then more history gets a little muddled. Some historians
likely to give rise to the behaviour in the state that Pavlov saw this talk, and noticed
future. According to proponents of the law of when he got back that his dogs salivated in
effect, most of the behaviour we emit is due the presence of lab coats before the food was
to the association between the behaviour and present, and it was this that caused him to
its consequence. We will look at this in more change the focus of his lab. Others state that
detail in the operant conditioning section Twitmyer and Pavlov were working on this
when we talk about the psychologist B.F. subject independently of each other. No
Skinner. matter what the real story was, we all know
that Pavlov is the one that is credited for
classical conditioning.
1.3 Classical Conditioning As we know, Pavlov’s process of association is
called classical conditioning (or Pavlovian con-
Thorndike had a strong methodological and ditioning). It should also be noted that during
theoretical impact on animal behaviour his research, Pavlov coined the term reinforce-
research influencing key concepts in learning ment to describe the strengthening of the asso­
theory that are still relevant today. However, ciation between an unconditioned and
in the early 1900s, scientists had a new leader conditioned stimulus. In classical condition­
in the area of animal learning theory. His ing, the animal learns to respond to a previ­
name was Ivan Pavlov. ously neutral stimulus that had been paired
Pavlov’s experiments furthered the doubt, with another stimulus that elicits an automatic
raised by Thorndike, that animals had much, response. Let’s look at a real world example
if any, cognitive ability. This uncertainty was that I mentioned earlier and one you may have