UNIT-2

PAVLOV’S CLASSICAL CONDITIONING THEORY WITH EDUCATIONAL

IMPLICATIONS
“Different kinds of habits based on training, education and discipline of any short
are nothing but a long chain of conditioned reflex.”

-Pavlov

Meaning of Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Theory:

Ivan Pavlov and his theory of classical conditioning had a profound impact on the
understanding of human behavior. This lesson explains classical conditioning and
Pavlov's contributions to psychology.

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) was a Russian scientist interested in studying how

digestion works in mammals. He observed and recorded information about dogs
and their digestive process. As part of his work, he began to study what triggers
dogs to salivate. It should have been an easy study: mammals produce saliva to
help them break down food, so the dogs should have simply began drooling when
presented with food.

But what Pavlov discovered when he observed the dogs were that drooling had a
much more far-reaching effect than he ever thought: it paved the way for a new
theory about behavior and a new way to study humans.

Experimental Evidences of Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Theory:

The Russian Psychologist Ivan Pavlov experimented for long on dogs to study how
the stimuli and responses are associated with different types of the stimuli of bell,
different colors or lights and established conditioned response of salivation in the
dog. In his experiment, he took a dog, kept him in a room and repeatedly gave the
ringing of the bell, as a stimulus, soon followed by food (piece of meat) which led
to salivation. Bell and food were presented in a sequence over a number of times
(about seven days) and at every trial there was the bell. A stage reached when

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ringing of the bell led to normal salivation even when there was no food supplied.
Neurologically it could be explained that the stimulus bell followed by food led to
the response of salivation in this manner.

This process is by making the nerves carrying the stimulus of the food which leads
to the response of salivation, coming closer and closer, with every trail to the
nerves carrying the stimulus of the bell that a stage reached that there was an
over lapping reinforcement of the nerves carrying the stimulus of food with the
nerves carrying stimulus of the bell.

In other words, a stage reached when the bell meant the food and the natural
response of salivation was there to the unnatural stimulus of the bell. Such
establishment of the nervous connections was the conditioned reflex. Here ‘sight
of food’ was termed as UCS, the ringing of the bell as ‘CS’ and the ‘salivating’ on
the ringing of the bell only was termed as CR.

Pavlov’s theory later developed into classical conditioning, which refers to

learning that associates an unconditioned stimulus that already results in a
response (such as a reflex) with a new, conditioned stimulus. As a result, the new
stimulus brings about the same response.

A schematic diagram of the procedure is as under:

Before Training (Conditioning)-

Bell (CS) → (Head turning, cocking of ears) Training.

Bell (CS) and Meat powder (UCS) → Salivation (UCR)

After Training-

Bell (CS) → Salivation (CR).

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Principles of Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Theory:
The success of the theory depends upon the following principles:

1. Time Principle: It means that there should not be a wide gap of time between
the cue stimulus and the satisfying stimulus. The longer the interval between the
two, the less effective the association. Normally the CS (bell) is presented before
the UCS (food) is presented. Before the CS, some learning may take place, but it is
not as effective as when the CS is presented before the UCS. It is so that reward
and punishment whenever to be given, should be immediate.

2. Principle of Intensity: It means that the satisfying stimulus should be of great

intensity; otherwise it cannot produce the desirable organic behavior.

3. Principle of Consistency: It means that the same process should be repeated in

the same way without any change for several days.

4. The Situational Principle: It means that the situation or the surrounding in

which learning is to take place should be such as there may not be in it chances of
distraction.

5. Principle of Repetition: It means that repetition is necessary for reinforcement

and fixation of learned response.

6. Principle of Inhibition: Inhibition should not be allowed i.e., there should not
be allowed any factor or situation that inhibits learning. Pavlov’s students often
found that having set up a conditioned response in a dog they not exhibit it to
Pavlov, because his presence in the room inhibited it. Likewise, we see student-
teachers failing to deliver a very well planned and prepared lesson in the presence
of his supervisor.

Educational Implications of Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Theory:

Many things of the school-subjects are learnt more adequately through this
process. Reading, writing, spelling or habits are learnt more effectively through
the process of conditioning.

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 1.) Association in learning: The child’s learning consists in the establishment of
conditioned reflexes through the formation of permanent habits. The
intelligent learner can establish conditioned reflexes with facility. Lastly,
this theory brings learning under the teacher’s control making desired
learning conditioned by situations created or regulated by the
experimenter himself.
2.) Discipline: Discipline may also be caused through conditioning. Good
sentiments, good habits, virtues and ideals etc., which are the components
of discipline, are effectively learnt through the process of conditioning, and
they are learnt surely, in a society in which they are actually lived and
manifested.
3.) Theory of Reward and Punishment: Theory of reward and punishment is
also based on conditioning. Children know that they will be punished as a
result of wrong actions and they will be rewarded as a result of good deeds.
Thus, for the conditioning of the child it is essential to punish him for his
misdeeds and give him reward for distinctions. This thing motivates the
children in the classroom.
4.) Useful in Language Learning: The teacher can utilize this conditioning
method in the classroom for teaching the languages. Conditioning is much
useful in language training, particularly Sanskrit language. The correct use
of the language makes the child conditioned for the use of that particular
language. Apart from Sanskrit language, this conditioning method is quite
effective to the learning of subjects like Mathematics.
5.) Helpful in Removal of Superstitions: A teacher can make the use of the
conditioning method to eliminate the superstitions of the children. Certain
superstitions like sneezing and passing the cat across your way etc., can be
removed by this method. The teacher has to develop faith in the children
through conditioning that such types of superstitions have no place in real
life situations. They have to be pulled out of his false orbit.
6.) Development of Attitudes: Conditioning may help the child in breaking
negative and promoting attitudes. In short, good and bad habits may be
developed in the child through this method of conditioning. Proper habits
can be formed by providing the education of positive behavior and values
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 to the child. Thus, a teacher should present himself before the children as
an ideal. A conditioning between good examples and responses of the
children will help in developing a healthy attitude in the child.
7.) Helpful in Adjustment: The conditioning method helps the child in
adjusting in various types of environments. The beginning of this takes
place with the adjustment of the child in class room conditions and school
circumstances. Later, he applies all this to make adjustment in real life
challenging situations. It is the conditioning only that enables the child to
make way in difficult and odd circumstances.
8.) Use of Audio-Visual Aids: The use of audio-visual aids in the class room
can be made effective through conditioning.
For example, if a word parrot is to be taught to the children in the class,
then the picture of the parrot must be shown to them along with the word
written on the Black-Board. Children will speak that word after looking the
picture. Then the picture is removed and the children will repeat only the
written word. Thus, the children could learn to speak the word parrot as a
result of conditioning.
9.) Arousal of Fear, Love and Jealousy: The conditioning helps in accelerating
the development of fear, love and jealousy among the students in the
classroom.
For instance, if a teacher beats any child excessively or he makes fun of him
in the midst of his classmates, then, quite naturally that child will show the
fear or jealousy for that teacher even after hearing his name only. On the
contrary, if a teacher exhibits love and affection for students, in return, the
students will show full regard for that teacher.
10.) Useful in Mental Hospitals: The mental cases and emotionally
unstable children can best be treated with this process of conditioning.
There are quite a few research evidences, on behalf of which, one may
confidently admit the role of conditioning in the treatment of mental
patients. It states that on account of love, affection and good treatment
many complexes and fears can be removed from the minds of such patients
and such type of conditioning helps in their early recovery.

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