PSY 105 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Rosalie Rayner, Behaviorism, Classical Conditioning
Document Summary
One of the most important characteristics of this type of learning is that it involves automatic or reflex responses, not voluntary behaviors (as opposed to operant or instrumental conditioning). Pavlov"s research is one of the foundations of the behavioral sciences. Pavlov had observed that after putting food in the mouth of the dog he was investigating, he began to secrete saliva from certain glands. Repeatedly conducting the experiment, he observed that his presence (pavlov"s own) caused the dog to start secreting saliva without food present, having learned that when pavlov showed up in the lab, he would receive food. Therefore, in order to know if he was right, he put a separator between the dog and the food, in a way the dog could not visualize it. The investigator introduced the food through a gate and recorded the salivation of the animal.
