One of the earliest behaviorists is Ivan Pavlov, an experimental psychologist noted for his studies of the reflex reaction in humans and animals. A reflex is an involuntary action of the body, such as a sneeze, a blink, or a hiccup. Pavlov did a series of experiments using dogs. He found that when a bell is rung each time a dog is fed, the dog starts to associate the sound of the bell with food. Consequently, whenever the bell rings, the dog expects food. The dog salivates and drools, and there is an increase in the flow of his stomach juices. The dog’s bodily response to the bell is a conditioned reflex, a behavior that occurs because the dog has been trained by the sound of the bell.
Pavlov’s experiments with dogs and discovery of the conditioned reflex contributed to the development of behaviorism. The dog’s bodily response—its behavior—does not come from something inside the dog. Rather, the behavior is the result of conditioning, the careful control of the dog’s environment. Pavlov argued that the dog’s behavior— drooling—was strictly a reaction to the environmental stimulus of the bell.
Describe Pavlov’s experiments with dogs, and explain how these experiments contributed to the psychology of behaviorism.
