Pavlov was right

So Ivan Pavlov was a pretty sharp guy. For those of you who don't know, Pavlov won the Nobel Prize in 1904 for his studies in how the digestive system works. He is more well known to the general public though for his work with, what is now known as, Pavlov's Dog. Basically Pavlov demonstrated classical conditioning.

What is classical conditioning? (I swear, I have a reason for writing this)

• Dog sees food--> Dog salivates (unconditioned response)
• Dog sees food (unconditioned stimulus) + ring bell (conditioned stimulus)--> Dog salivates
• Dog hears bell ring (conditioned stimulus)--> Dog salivates (conditioned response)

Why did I waste your time with this? Well, the other day I was in a lecture and someone's beeper went off. It was the same beeper tone that I used when I was on surgery. Upon hearing the beeper go off my heart started to race and I thought... that's the sound I used to hear when I was called down to the trauma bay to help with a trauma call...meant no sleep for Sarah. I was actually waiting for the "Code Yellow, Trauma team to the ER" to go off over the loud speaker. So I can relate my conditioned response to that off the puppy.

• Sarah gets a trauma call-->Sarah's heart starts racing (unconditioned response)
• Sarah gets a trauma call (unconditioned stimulus) + specific beeper tone (conditioned stimulus)-->Sarah's heart starts racing
• Sarah hears specific beeper tone (conditioned stimulus)--> Sarah's heart starts racing (conditioned response)

So that is my experience with classical conditioning. Want to have some fun with it yourself? Play this game